Tales of Symphonia: Radiant Dawn
by Dragon's Shadow
Summary: When a mysterious swordswoman helps out Lloyd and Genis and joins them in their quest, how will her presence affect the Journey of Regeneration? And what antics will ensue from it? Crossover with Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn.
1. Prologue: A Journey's Depressing Start

**Welcome to Tales of Symphonia: Radiant Dawn. This is a crossover between Tales of Symphonia and Fire Emblem: Raidant Dawn (which is a sequel to Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance). You may call me Lunar. I hope that everyone enjoys my story and appreciates all the twists and turns in it. And I give special thanks to my beta, eragonfanatic92, aka Mieu. ;) I now submit my story to your scrutiny. Don't be too mean, okay?**

**EDIT NOTE: This is version 2 of the prologue. To those who have read this before, I gave Mia more interaction with the village, so it wouldn't seem like she was forgotten. For those who have yet to read this, you will meet Mia momentarily.**

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**Prologue: **_**A Journey's Depressing Start**_

Two words could easily describe Lloyd Irving's day right now: downright horrible. His day started out great, however. He had made up with his father, Dirk, gotten a Key Crest for Marble, and intended to join his friend and Chosen of Sylvarant, Colette Brunel, on her journey. That's when everything started rolling downhill.

Genis Sage, Lloyd's best friend, suddenly showed up at his house looking for him. Genis informed Lloyd that Colette had already left on her journey, accompanied by their teacher and Genis' sister, Raine Sage, and the mercenary Kratos Aurion. Lloyd told Genis that Colette had told him they were leaving at noon and realized that Colette had lied. The two boys immediately rushed to the nearby Village of Oracles, Iselia, to get some answers.

Upon arriving in Iselia, Lloyd and Genis went to Colette's house and met with Phaidra and Frank, Colette's grandmother and father. Phaidra gave Lloyd a letter from Colette. In it, she told Lloyd that she had lied to him and prevented him from going on the Journey of Regenration to keep him safe. She wished for Lloyd to live a wonderful life in the regenerated world and said she was lucky to have met him.

Just as Lloyd's mind was absorbing the details of what was going on, explosions and chaos erupted outside. Lloyd and Genis rushed outside to see that Desians were raiding the village and demanded that Lloyd reveal himself. Lloyd and Genis forced their way into the center of the chaos.

The Desians were led by one of the Grand Cardinals, the ruling body of the Desians. His name was Forcystus. Forcystus was clad in a black shirt, wore gold armor over it, and had a red and white jacket covering his armor. He also wore black pants and black, white, and gold boots. His left forearm had been replaced with a gold-plated cannon. His right eye had been gouged out and was covered by a red and silver eyepatch.

Forcystus announced that the village had violated the non-aggression treaty when Lloyd attacked the ranch and talked to Marble and they were here to exact punishment. Lloyd countered that the Desians violated the treaty first by attacking the Martel Temple yesterday and demanded that they leave the village.

Forcystus laughed off Lloyd's bravado and accusations and sent a grotesque, green monster called Exbeula after Lloyd. Lloyd was forced to fight the monster, with only Genis helping him out. This is where our story begins.

The fight started with Genis casting Fire Ball to distract their foe while Lloyd charged, readying his blade to use Sonic Thrust. However, the monster recovered quickly, sidestepped Lloyd's attack, grabbed his arm, and threw him right at Genis. Lloyd collided right into Genis, sending them tumbling back several feet.

"Damn… I was not expecting that," Lloyd hissed.

"This guy is tough," Genis added.

"I know, but we can't give up," said Lloyd.

They got back up and Genis fired off Stone Blast, this time stunning the monster. While stunned, Lloyd rushed up, slashed at it a few times, and then used Sword Rain. The monster was struck with every blow, and was sent reeling. Genis then followed up with Wind Blade, which sent it to the ground.

"Did… Did we get it?" Lloyd asked.

"I think so," Genis answered.

Just then, the monster used its arm to strike Lloyd, causing him to stumble. It then grabbed Lloyd's throat and hoisted him into the air. Genis tried to save him with another Fire Ball, but the monster used its free arm to deflect the spell right back at Genis. Genis was hit by his spell hard, causing him to drop to his knees.

Exbeula then slammed Lloyd into the ground, pinning him. It then pulled its fist back, ready to smash the red-clad twin swordsman's head in. At the last second, a blue blast from out of nowhere came soaring at the monster and struck it, send it into a tumble across the ground.

"Who did that?" Genis asked himself.

As if the Goddess Martel herself had answered his prayers, a woman slightly older than Lloyd appeared next to him. She was clad in an orange sleeveless trench coat that covered her toned body, black gloves that went all the way up her arms, black boots that went halfway up her slender thighs, a black sleeveless shirt, black shorts, and a brown belt that doubled as a sword holster. She had indigo hair that went halfway down her back, held back by a white headband. Her emerald eyes had a fire in them that showed she was a veteran warrior, the smirk on her face showing the enthusiasm and confidence she possessed. In her right hand was a majestic, white-hued two-handed sword.

"Are you okay?" the girl asked as she extended her free hand.

"I'm good. Thanks for saving me. Who are you?" Lloyd asked as he grabbed her hand.

"We can talk later. It's not over yet. I would appreciate your help with that thing," the woman continued as she pulled Lloyd up.

A Desian braced himself to go and attack the new warrior that had appeared, but Forcystus held him back.

"Not yet. I want to see if my theory is right first. And one inferior being will not make much of a difference," Forcystus smirked.

Exbelua started to get back up, a black aura radiating from its body.

"You got it! Genis, you ready?" Lloyd asked.

"For you, I'm always ready," Genis replied as he got up.

"Here it comes," the girl warned.

Exbelua charged the three warriors, ready to end this once and for all. It raised both its fists into the air ready to pulverize them. As its fists fell, they made contact with steel. The girl has used her blade to block the attack. She then swung her sword forward, delivering a deep gash to Exbelua's torso.

"Now!" she shouted.

"Wind Blade!" Genis chanted.

"Sonic Thrust!" Lloyd shouted.

The girl got out of the way right before the attacks connected. The Wind Blade had struck where the monster was wounded, followed up by Lloyd impaling Exbelua in the same wound with his sword. As Lloyd glared down the wounded monster, the bandages on his left hand fell off, revealing his Exshpere to the world. Lloyd twisted and yanked his sword out of its flesh sheath, causing blood to spurt everywhere, and Exbelua fell to the ground, defeated.

"Lord Forcystus! Just as you thought, that boy has an Exsphere!" said a random Desian.

"…It must be the one from the Angelus Project that we've been searching for!" Forcystus deduced.

He then turned to Lloyd, pointed his cannon arm at him, and ordered, "Give it to me!"

Lloyd stepped back, protecting his left hand.

"No! This is a memento of my mom's, who you Desians murdered!" Lloyd refused.

"Stay away from Lloyd!" Genis shouted, appearing at Lloyd's side.

"I don't know what's going on, but after seeing all the crimes you Desians have done, I won't let you lay a finger on him!" the female swordsman proclaimed, her sword pointed right at Forcystus.

"Pathetic humans…" Forcystus mumbled as he glared at Lloyd. "And what the hell are you talking about? Your mother was…"

Before Forcystus could finish his sentence, Exbelua came back from the dead and restrained Forcystus.

"Run… away… Genis… Lloyd…" a garbled voice echoed through the air.

"Wh… what was that voice? It… sounded like… Marble?" Genis whispered.

"It can't be!" Lloyd shouted.

"Uh… ugh… guh… Get away… hurry! ….Genis… you were like a grandson to me. Thank you. Goodbye…" Marble's voice whispered in the wind.

Lloyd tried to run to Marble to help her, but the blunette held him back. Marble self-destructed, badly injuring Forcystus. Her Exsphere rolled over to Genis' feet. Genis, in a state of shock, picks up the Exsphere.

"…Ugh," Forcystus spat out, breathing raggedly due to his injuries.

"…No! Protect Lord Forcystus!" a soldier ordered.

The Desians surrounded their Grand Cardinal, ready to protect him with their lives.

"…Lloyd. We will always come after you as long as you possess that Exsphere. Always!" Forcystus proclaimed before he and the Desians retreated back to their Human Ranch.

"M…Marble! …Marble! No!!!!!!!" Genis shouted to the heavens, mourning for his fallen friend.

Lloyd fell to his knees, upset at all that had happened. The woman that had aided them holstered her sword then knelt next to him.

"Hey. It's okay. You did great back there. I can tell that the monster was your friend. I'm sorry she killed herself to save you. I'm sorry for your loss," she told Lloyd.

"Th… Thank you for helping us, uh…" Lloyd whispered.

"Mia. Mia Wayu," she introduced herself.

"Thank you, Mia. My name is Lloyd Irving. Nice to meet you," Lloyd replied, cheering up a little.

The two turned to Genis, still in shock about what happened. Mia and Lloyd approached him.

"Genis, are you okay?" Lloyd asked.

"Marble…" Genis whispered, eyes full of tears.

"Genis, she saved us all. She cared about you. Don't dishonor her memory by wallowing in misery," said Lloyd.

"Lloyd's right. Buck up," Mia added.

"Lloyd…" Genis whispered.

"You fought well back there! Nice to meet ya! Name's Mia!" Mia introduced herself.

"I'm Genis…" he introduced himself, still somewhat sad over what happened.

Just then, a crowd led by the avaricious Mayor of Iselia approached Lloyd, Genis, and Mia.

"What have you done!? Look! Look what happened to our village! It's all your fault!" the Mayor shouted.

Lloyd and Genis looked down in shame.

"I'm sorry…" Lloyd apologized.

"You think you can fix this by apologizing!? The Desians marked him as your enemy! As long as you are here, this village will never be at peace. Do you understand?" the Mayor ranted.

Genis and Mia rushed in front of Lloyd, ready to defend him.

"Wait a minute! You're going to exile him!?" said Genis.

"Yes," the Mayor responded.

"That's not fair! Lloyd didn't do anything wrong! He just saved Marble…" Genis proclaimed.

"Now hold on! Lloyd here helped prevent the total destruction of your village. You owe him your lives!" Mia shouted.

"Yet, had he not meddled at the ranch, there wouldn't have been any destruction in the first place!" a villager shot back.

"Any involvement with the ranch is forbidden. There are no exceptions," said the Mayor grudgingly.

"So it's okay to let people die at the human ranch as long as the village is safe!?" Genis asked.

"The people at the ranch are just going to rot there, anyway," a female villager said.

"Yes. Had you not done something so stupid, they'd have been the only ones that died," the Mayor glared.

"You humans are all the same…" Genis sneered.

"So, you'll turn a blind eye to the victims of the Desians, leaving them to be slaughtered like cattle, while you hole up and appease your enemies? And I thought that the Mad King and the senators of Bengion were heartless. Seems like Soren was wrong. I heard him say once that when the peace you so cherish is shattered, that then you will comprehend the misfortunes you so long pretended not to see. You just proved him wrong, which I never thought would happen. You have no heart. As Soren would say, 'I have no sympathy for you.'" Mia spat.

"Who cares about the Desian's playthings? So long as we are safe, what the Desians do in their ranch is their own business," the Mayor spat.

Mia and Genis looked livid and were ready to strike down the Mayor, but Lloyd stopped them.

"Mia, Genis. That's enough. This was my fault and my fault alone," said Lloyd.

Lloyd walks up right to the Mayor and looks him right in the eye. For a second, some thought that Lloyd would strike the Mayor down.

"…I'll leave," Lloyd announced.

"Mayor, surely you don't have to be so strict on a child?" a female villager came to Lloyd's defense.

"What are you saying?" a male villager asked. "Do you realize how many people died here because of him?"

Genis then approaches the Mayor and glares at him.

"It's not Lloyd's fault! I'm the one that took him to the ranch. So it's my fault!" he said.

"But it's Lloyd the Desians are after. And besides, Lloyd isn't from this village to begin with! He's an outsider, raised by a dwarf," the Mayor said.

"So what if he is? He defended your village with every fiber of his being. He deserves better than this," Mia replied.

"Yet, it was him that caused this travesty," another villager glared at Lloyd.

"Then I'm leaving too. I'm just as guilty as he is!" Genis announced.

"Genis…" Lloyd whispered.

"Fine then. By the rights invested me as mayor, I hereby announce the banishment of Lloyd and Genis from the village of Iselia. GET OUT!" the Mayor shouted.

He then turned his attention to Mia.

"As for you, you are no longer welcome in this village. Leave now or face the consequences," the Mayor threatened.

"Like I need to stay in a village of arrogant bastards," Mia grumbled.

The Mayor and the villagers then left the carnage, leaving Lloyd, Genis, and Mia to themselves. Then Frank and Phaidra approached the three warriors. Lloyd looks at them, sadness evident in his eyes.

"I'm sorry for causing you so much trouble," Lloyd apologized.

"If you feel that way, please catch up to the Chosen and protect her. She is on her way to Triet: The Desert Oasis. If in doing so, the world is saved, surely everyone will change their minds about you," Phaidra informed him.

"For I'm sure Colette would want that as well," Frank added.

"…Yes. I will atone for what I've done. I swear to protect Colette for the sake of those who have died because of me," Lloyd promised.

"…I'll follow you, Lloyd. It's my fault that you were banished. So I promise to stick by you, always," Genis swore.

"I'll stick with you for a time as well. I'm on a journey to find Boss and my friends and Boss always said that there is safety in numbers. Besides, I can help you in swordplay," Mia vowed.

"Mia, I know I just met you not even 30 minutes ago, but thank you helping us, sticking up for me, and joining us," said Lloyd.

"Don't thank me. It's what I do. Besides, I know Boss would never forgive me for abandoning someone in need," Mia replied.

"Regardless, thanks," Lloyd finished.

He then turned to Genis.

"Say, Genis. Why don't you use that Exsphere? That's Marble's memento," Lloyd suggested.

"…Okay," Genis reluctantly agreed.

"I'll explain to you on how to use the Key Crest later. After all, it looks like it's going to be a long journey," Lloyd continued.

"Yeah…" Genis sighed.

"I've been on long journeys before. This will be fun," Mia smirked.

"Good luck to the three of you. Remember to use the Houses of Salvation. Servants of the Goddess reside in each one and will be willing to help you in any way," Phaidra informed them.

"Yes, good luck, and when you find Colette, tell her that our prayers are with her," Frank added.

"I will. Thank you, and goodbye for now," said Lloyd.

As the three turned to leave Iselia, a large green/while dog-like animal met them. It made a whine-like sound at Lloyd.

"Let's go, Noishe," Lloyd told the protozoan.

This animal puzzled Mia, but Lloyd knew it and this 'Noishe' seemed harmless. She resolved to ask about Noishe later.

"Don't throw your lives away," Phaidra advised them.

"May the Goddess Martel protect you," Frank prayed.

"We'll be back, and we'll make things up to the village," Lloyd vowed.

The three waved to Frank and Phaidra as they walked away.

A couple of hours of walking later, Noishe began to howl. Lloyd turned to Noishe.

"Hmm? What is it? What's that in your mouth?" he asked.

"Look, your bag's open," Genis observed. "You probably dropped it yourself."

"Here, I got it," said Mia as she closed Lloyd's bag for him.

"Oh. Thanks, you three. Let's see…" said Lloyd as he took the item from Noishe and examined it.

"It's a letter from Dad," he told them.

"From Dirk?" Genis asked.

"Yeah. I wonder what's written in it?" Lloyd pondered.

"Well read it and see," Mia suggested.

"Dear Lloyd… Did you read the Traveler's Guide? It has the seven most known Dwarven Vows as well as knowledge necessary for your journey written in it. Make use of this information and be sure to protect Colette. Fourteen years have passed since I found you and started raising you. You were still barely able to walk. I remember how you were scared of me and always crying. And now, you've grown into a strong swordsman. I'm grateful for you calling me, a non-human, your father. Someday, when you are a full-grown man, I'll have a gift for you. Keep that in mind as something to look forward to as you go out there and fight," Lloyd read out loud.

A tear leaked out of Lloyd's eye.

"Dad…" he sighed.

"We'll make Dirk proud," said Genis.

"Sounds like your dad cares about you. Don't betray his faith in you," Mia advised him.

"Thanks, both of you," Lloyd whispered.

Lloyd put the letter away. Then, the twin swordsman, Trueblade, half-elf mage, and protozoan walked off to the south, beginning a long, tedious journey, leading to places beyond their wildest dreams.

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**So, those of you who play Fire Emblem will recognize Mia. How did she get here and how will her arrival here impact the Journey of Regenration? That's what the rest of the story is for. Please review! **

**EDIT NOTE: At this point, I'm up to Chapter 7: Assassins. Nothing's changed here that'll change the plot. All I did was clean up this chapter to make it more fluid and improved character interaction.**


	2. Chapter 1: Building Bridges

**Lunar: Hello and welcome to Chapter 1! Sorry for taking so long! Anyways, here it is. Also, to that one reviewer, thanks for pointing out that HUGE mistake I made. I can't believe me and my beta missed that. That's what I get for having the game script next to me as I type! XD I assure you, that won't happen again. Well, let's get started!**

**Oh! One last thing! I do not own Tales of Symphonia or Fire Emblem. I wish I did. Then I could make the ultimate RPG!**

**Chapter 1:** _**Building Bridges**_

Lloyd's group has been walking for what seemed like an eternity. The sun was going down and they needed to find some shelter soon. Just as it seemed like they had to stop and pitch camp for the night, Genis spotted a building in the distance.

"Hey, what's that?" he asked.

"You think it's one of those Houses of Salvation we were told about?" Mia asked.

"I don't know, but let's go for it," Lloyd suggested.

The group quickly made their way to the building. Just as Mia had thought, it was indeed a House of Salvation. Leaving Noishe outside, the three of them walked inside. There, they saw a lady behind a counter. Lloyd walked up to her.

"Excuse me. My friends and I are in need of a place to stay for the night. Is it possible for us to stay here tonight?" Lloyd asked.

"Of course," the woman replied. "How many are in your party?"

"Three," Lloyd answered. "Also, do you have a place where I can keep my dog?"

"We have a stable out back where you can keep you dog, sir. Now, you said three, right? Ah, we have the perfect room for you. It has three single beds, comes with toiletries, and you get access to the bathroom. Will that be acceptable?" the woman asked.

"Sure!" Lloyd grinned.

"Good. That'll be 750 Gald," the woman tallied.

"What!?" Lloyd shouted. "What's the meaning of this? This is a House of Salvation, run by the Church of Martel! I thought you guys were supposed to be charitable and generous, not scamming us! Besides, isn't being greedy one of the Seven Sins of Kharlan!?"

"Lloyd!" Genis exclaimed. "You know what 'charitable' means and you know of the Seven Sins of Kharlan!? Oh, Martel! I don't believe it! Wait until I tell Raine!"

Lloyd promptly smacked Genis in the back of the head. Mia just chuckled.

"Shut it, Genis!" Lloyd snapped.

"I know that, sir, but while we are owned and run by the Church, we need funding to stay open. Donations just don't cover the cost," the woman explained.

"…Fine," Lloyd sighed.

Lloyd reached into his pocket, pulled out seven hundred and fifty Gald, and paid the woman. She then gave Lloyd a key.

"You have the room at the far end of the top floor," she informed them.

"Thanks," Lloyd replied.

Lloyd then turned to Mia and gave her the key.

"Here. Why don't you and Genis go up to our room? I'll put Noishe in the stable and meet you there," Lloyd suggested.

"Got it, Little Ike!" Mia smirked.

"Hey, I'm not little, and my name's not Ike!" Lloyd fussed.

Mia just laughed Lloyd off and she and Genis went upstairs to their room. They walked up two flights of stairs and down a short hallway to find a door. Mia used the key to unlock the door and they walked in.

They looked around, seeing that the room was plainly furnished. It had three simple beds, a wooden table and chairs, a coat hanger, and two beaten nightstands. Mia walked over to the coat hanger, took off her coat, and put it on the hanger.

"I'll be right back. I'm going to find the bathroom and change," Mia informed Genis.

Mia left the room, leaving Genis to himself. Genis quickly changed into his pajamas, a green T-shirt and black shorts. He then sat on a bed, looking at the Exsphere he had acquired earlier that day. A frown shaped his face as he remembered what had happened.

"Marble… I'm sorry… Forgive me…" he whispered to the Exshpere.

Just then, Genis could've sworn that the Exshpere glowed for a second, as if it was Marble saying, "_I forgive you, Genis._"

Regardless of whether his mind was playing tricks on him or not, he believed that the glow was Marble, and that she accepted his apology. Genis felt a little better after that.

As Genis was in his own little world, someone knocked on the door, snapping Genis out of it. Genis opened the door and found that Lloyd was on the other side of it.

"Hey, Genis," Lloyd greeted as he came in. "Where's Mia?"

"Bathroom," Genis told him.

"Okay then," Lloyd said.

Lloyd then took advantage of the moment to change his clothes. He swapped out his red outfit for a black T-shirt and red shorts. He then sat down on the bed and noticed Genis holding Marble's Exsphere.

"Genis, want me to show you how to equip your Exsphere?" Lloyd asked.

"Sure, Lloyd," Genis responded.

Lloyd reached into his bag and pulled out a sliver bracelet and gave it to Genis.

"Here's what you do. First, you put the Key Crest on, like you would a bracelet," Lloyd instructed.

Genis put the Key Crest on and glanced at it.

"Next, you put the Exsphere into the bracelet's hole. Both the Exsphere and Key Crest will bond to your skin when you do that. You'll feel funny for a little bit, but that's suppose to happen," Lloyd explained.

Genis took the Exsphere and placed it in the hole of the Key Crest. It shined slightly then sank slightly into Genis' skin. Genis felt light-headed and his left arm felt like it was on fire.

"I… don't feel so good…" Genis mumbled.

"It's okay, Genis. Lie down and you'll be fine in a few minutes," said Lloyd.

Genis made his way over to a bed and got in it, mumbling about the pain.

"Hey, Lloyd, do you think we can trust Mia?" Genis asked, trying to get his mind off the pain.

"Of course we can! Why wouldn't we? Do you not trust her?" Lloyd replied.

"It's not that I don't trust her. It's just that we don't know a thing about her," Genis explained.

"That's true. However, she did save us from that Forcystus guy and stood up for me back at the village. I'm willing to give her my trust," said Lloyd.

"Well, if you can put some trust in her, then I'll follow your lead, Lloyd. However, I still want to get to know a few things about her," said Genis.

"Fair enough," Lloyd replied. "Let's spend tonight getting to know each other a little more."

"Agreed," said Genis.

"Hey, Genis, what do you think Colette, Raine, and Kratos are up to right now?" Lloyd asked.

"Colette is probably trying is hardest to be the Chosen, Raine is probably giving a history lesson of some sort, and as for Kratos… probably brooding," said Genis.

"Yeah, I can just imagine Kratos now," said Lloyd.

Lloyd grabbed one of his swords and sat on the edge of the bed. He stood the sword on the ground, pointing down, putting his hands over the pommel. He then frowned and glared at Genis. Genis doubled over in laughter.

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! You… look just… like him!!" Genis choked out between laughs, his pain forgotten in joy.

Lloyd grinned and began laughing as well. This was the sight that Mia found when she came in. She was wearing a form-fitting orange T-shirt and shorts, her possessions in one arm, her sword slung over her shoulders.

"Am I interrupting something?" Mia asked.

"Just an inside joke, that's all," Lloyd replied.

"Okay then," said Mia, who put her items on the nightstand, and leaned her sword next to her bed.

"Hey, Mia," Lloyd asked. "Genis and I figured that we ought to get to know each other some. We're going to be together for awhile, and I'd like to be good friends with everyone I meet, if possible."

"Sure, I don't mind. I'm guessing you want me to go first, right?" Mia assumed.

"If that's okay with you," Lloyd replied.

"Yeah, it is," said Mia. "I suppose that first and foremost, I'm a mercenary."

"You're a mercenary? You going to charge us to travel with you?" Genis asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"No," Mia shook her head. "I wouldn't do that. That's not the way of my guild."

"You're a member of a guild? Which one?" Lloyd asked.

"I'm a member of the famous guild called the Greil Mercenaries, a proud group of people who put the people above the gold they make," said Mia, her voice full of pride.

"The Greil Mercenaries? Never heard of them," Genis told her.

"Even though we're famous, I doubt you've heard of us. We're only famous in the place where I'm from," said Mia.

"And where are you from?" Lloyd asked.

"You wouldn't have heard of this place. It's called Tellius. Specifically, I'm from the country Crimea, a section of Tellius," Mia informed him.

"You're right. I've never heard of it. Where in Sylvarant is Tellius?" Genis asked.

"To be honest, I'm not sure myself," said Mia.

"How do you not know where your home is?" Lloyd asked.

"The reason is that Tellius is isolated. Up until a few days ago, my friends and I thought that Tellius was the only place in the world. A thousand years ago, a great flood occurred in Tellius. We of Tellius believed that the rest of the world was washed away, leaving only us, but I guess we were wrong," Mia explained.

"Wow. Wait until Raine hears that there's an isolated continent somewhere in Sylvarant!" Genis exclaimed.

"Don't tell her, please. We'll probably end up doing research," Lloyd sighed while rolling his eyes.

"So, if Tellius is isolated from the rest of Sylvarant, then how did you end up at Iselia?" Genis asked.

"That, I'm not entirely sure of. However, I will tell you what I do know," said Mia.

"You see, Tellius was recently engulfed in war. This war involved all of her countries. The Greil Mercenaries were instrumental in ending the war, called The War of the Goddesses," Mia told them.

"Why was the war called that?" Lloyd asked.

"Because the two warring factions were under the command of Ashera, Goddess of Order, and Yune, Goddess of Chaos," Mia answered.

"Ashera and Yune? Goddesses? Actual goddesses, like Martel?" Genis asked.

"Well, I don't know about your "Goddess Martel," but I assure you that Yune and Ashera are real goddesses," Mia assured him.

"Really? Did you meet them yourself?" Lloyd asked.

"Yes and no. I was one of ones chosen to fight Ashera herself, so I did see her and even fought her. As for Yune, we never talked to each other, but I have met her," said Mia.

"So, you and the Greil Mercenaries sided with the Goddess of Chaos? Why? I would think you'd side with the Goddess of Order, seeing as how Order and Justice go hand in hand?" Genis pondered.

"You would think that, huh? But, Ashera's idea of 'Justice' was to turn the entire population of Tellius into stone," Mia explained.

"WHAT!?" Lloyd and Genis shouted.

"Yeah, and when she did it, only a few select people, including myself, who were protected by Yune herself were spared that fate," Mia told them. "The remaining warriors, which consisted of the Greil Mercenaries, the Dawn Brigade, the Serenes Royal Family, and several others factions from around the continent, joined forces, stormed the Tower of Guidance, Ashera's home, and defeated her."

"That's so cool!" Lloyd shouted.

"Yes, it sounds great; too great to be true. How do I know that you're telling us the truth?" Genis asked.

"Good point. I suppose that the best proof I can give you at the moment is my sword," Mia figured.

"Your sword?" Lloyd asked. "I know that it is a magnificent sword and that you must be strong in order to wield a two-handed sword like that with only one hand, but why is your sword proof?"

"Well, that would be because it is Alondite, a weapon forged one thousand years ago for the warrior Altina. When Ashera and Yune fought a thousand years ago, due to the fact that Yune had caused the flood that isolated Tellius, Altina sided with Ashera. Ashera blessed Alondite with her power and with it and some help from her allies, Altina defeated Yune and sealed her away. When we fought Ashera, Yune blessed Alondite along with several other weapons. To the best of my knowledge, Alondite is only one of two weapons blessed by both Yune and Ashera. The other one is Alondite's twin, Ragnell. Ike Gawain, leader of the Greil Mercenaries and who I call 'Boss', is the wielder of Ragnell," Mia told them.

"Let me take a look at it," Genis ordered.

"Go right ahead," Mia gestured to Alondite.

Genis walked over to Mia's sword and grabbed it. He tried to pick it up, but it was too heavy for him. However, he did feel the power radiating from Alondite thanks to his elven blood.

"I don't believe it. This sword contains two different powers, both of them overwhelming. I've never felt anything like it before. Not even the light of the Oracle was this powerful," Genis observed.

"Let me see it," Lloyd said.

Genis stepped aside and Lloyd grabbed Alondite with both hands. With tremendous difficulty, he got the sword a couple of inches off the ground, but he dropped it, causing the sword to pulsate. Lloyd stood there in awe, the sword's glow capturing his full attention. Mia easily picked up her sword with only one hand and held it out for the boys to see. Lloyd looked down in shame.

"I'm ashamed to call myself a swordsman," Lloyd mumbled.

"Believe me now?" Mia asked as she twirled Alondite in her right hand before leaning it against her bed once more.

"With a weapon like that in your possession, who wouldn't?" Genis replied. "Man, your goddesses must've been powerful."

"I suppose, but Boss beat Ashera! Well, it was with Yune's help, but he still did it! I am honored to call him my teacher," Mia said.

"So, this 'Ike' taught you how to fight?" Lloyd asked.

"Not exactly. When I first met Boss, I already knew the basics. However, I fell in love with his swordsmanship, called the Gawain Style, and I knew that I just had to learn it! Ike became my teacher and I trained under him night and day. I eventually combined the Gawain Style with my own abilities to form my own style that suits me," Mia corrected him.

"I see…" Lloyd told himself.

"But you've yet to tell us how you got to Iselia in the first place," Genis informed Mia.

"Ah! Sorry about that! I got all wrapped up in Tellius' history. Well, as I was saying, Tellius was engulfed in war and we managed to put an end to it. Once everything was settled, Ike, now known as the Hero of Blue Flames, decided he wanted to travel the seas and find other lands, if they existed. He wanted to go by himself, but none of us were going to let that happen. So, five people joined Ike in his quest, all for various reasons. There was Soren, who had vowed to follow Boss in whatever he did; Ranulf, who desired to see much more than what Tellius had; Lyre, who is smitten over Ranulf and didn't want to let him go without her; Ilyana, who joined us on the promise of exotic foods for her to eat; and myself, to continue to learn under Ike, find new opponents, and prove myself to my white-clad archrival, Lucia. We went to the nation of Hatari to escort someone there, then we commandeered a boat and supplies and set sail," said Mia.

"Sounds like a lot of people look up to Ike. What exactly do you think of him, Mia?" Lloyd asked.

"Well, Boss is such an amazing warrior. I could never match his prowess in battle, but I wish to be seen as worthy in his eyes. He is also an amazing teacher. He is kind, yet firm and he's generous and trusting to a fault. He stands by his convictions and helps out the little people. In fact, he kinda reminds me of you, Lloyd," Mia described.

"I-I do!?" Lloyd blushed.

"You do, and that's why I'm calling you Little Ike!" Mia proclaimed.

"I'm not little and my name's not Ike!" Lloyd yelled.

Mia and Genis just laughed at Lloyd's antics.

"Sounds like you have a lot of respect for this guy. Is there anything more?" Genis asked.

Mia slightly blushed at that question and lost her composure for a second then regained it.

"Wh-What are you t-talking about?" Mia stuttered.

"What I meant is: Do you have any feelings for Ike? And judging from your reaction to my question, I'd say yes," Genis clarified.

"I-I do not like Ike in that way!" Mia yelled, blushing feverously.

"Yes, you do!" Lloyd accused and pointed at her.

"No, I don't!" she retorted.

"Ike and Mia, sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G! First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes baby in a baby carriage!" Lloyd and Genis sang while doing the Can-Can.

"Shut up!" Mia ordered, red as Lloyd's outfit.

"Okay… okay… we'll stop," Lloyd assured her.

"Mia, as you were saying, you, Ike, and five others left Tellius to search for new lands, going off in a boat. What happened next?" Genis asked.

Mia sat there silent for a minute, calming down from her outburst and embarrassment. Once she did, she continued her story.

"For a few days, we found nothing but sea, sea, and more sea. On the eighth day of our trip, we ran headlong into a storm. There was nothing we could do to avoid it. The ship was caught and the storm sank our ship. The last thing I remember was clinging onto driftwood, trying to get to Ike and the others. Next thing I know, a bright light engulfs us all and all goes black," Mia told them.

"The next thing I remember was waking up on a beach. I took a look around, hoping to find Boss and the others, but was unsuccessful. Just as I was about to give up, this bright light shot into the sky," she continued.

"That's the light of the Oracle!" Genis told her.

"Yeah, I suppose it was. I followed the light for hours, even after it faded away, and it eventually led me to this temple," she said.

"The Martel Temple," Lloyd whispered.

"When I got there, the place was littered with bodies. I asked someone who was cleaning up what happened. He told me the Desians attacked the place and killed the priests, but the Chosen and her friends drove them away. I then asked if there was a place where I could stay and stock up. I was then directed to Iselia. I got some new supplies and a bed for the night. The next day, I went outside the village to get some training in. As I did, I ran into three people: one dressed in white who seemed like a total klutz, another was rambling on about ruins, and the tall guy of the group seemed to have a sword shoved up his rear," she said.

"Hey! That's Colette, Raine, and Kratos!" Lloyd shouted.

"Oh, you knew them?" Mia asked.

"Yeah! They're the people Genis and I need to catch up to," Lloyd answered.

"That so? Then that would make one of them the Chosen. Please don't tell me it's the grumpy guy," Mia pleaded.

"No. It would be the one you affectionately referred to as 'a klutz'," Genis told her.

"WHAT!? The kiutz is the almighty Chosen of Sylvarant!? I don't believe it! I thought she might've been something because she wore white, but she's too clumsy! If Boss were anything like her, I'd be a stone statue right now!" Mia replied.

"HEY! Don't make fun of Colette like that! She's just as much as a hero as your precious Ike. She's just as caring, generous, kind, devoted, loyal, and strong!" Lloyd argued.

"Heh. Sounds like someone thinks rather highly of the Chosen. I would wager my sword that you have a crush on her," Mia grinned.

"WHAT!? No! I don't like Colette in that way! She's just my best female friend, that's all," Lloyd argued, his face redder than his signature outfit.

"Your blush says otherwise," Mia observed. "Oh, I can see it now: The legendary Chosen of Sylvarant and her Crimson Knight: lovers fighting for a better world. Oh, this is the stuff romance novels are made of!"

"I agree! You could even have cheesy love scenes," Genis added. "Like this one, for example: Lloyd grabs Colette's hands and says, 'Oh, Lady Colette. You fight so bravely for us all. I only wish to ease your burden. I, Sir Lloyd Irving, vow to help you in any way I can. Allow my heart and soul to be your shield and sword.' Then Colette would say, 'Oh, Sir Lloyd. Thank you for being so loyal to me. You can ease my burden by letting me into your heart and allowing my lips to caress yours.' Then Lloyd would say, 'As you wish, milady.' Then they'd start making out like there's no tomorrow!"

Mia and Genis fell over in laughter. Lloyd was downright furious and embarrassed.

"STOP THAT!" he bellowed.

Mia and Genis stopped laughing and composed themselves.

"Seems like the shoe is on the other foot, wouldn't you agree, Lloyd?" Genis asked.

Lloyd just huffed and turned away, arms crossed.

"So, what happened when you met them?" Genis asked.

"They asked what I was doing and I said I was training. The one in orange and the guy were looking at my sword oddly for a few moments, then wished me luck and left," Mia told them.

"Raine was probably trying to figure out if your sword was an artifact of historical value," Genis relpied.

"And Kratos was most likely jealous of Alondite," Lloyd added, turning back around.

"Probably. Anyways, I continued training unit I saw smoke coming from the direction of Iselia, so I rushed back to see what's up. And that's when I met the two of you," Mia finished.

"Wow. That was an amazing story," Lloyd complimented.

"Thank you," Mia responded.

"I remember back in Iselia that you said 'I'm on a journey to find Boss and my friends'. Is that what you're planning on doing now?" Genis asked.

"Yeah. I want to find Ike, Soren, Ranulf, Lyre, and Ilyana. They could be anywhere on Sylvarant, or possibly back on Tellius or some unknown place. I hope I find them…" Mia sighed.

"Don't worry; we'll help you find them!" Lloyd promised.

"Thanks," said Mia. "In the meantime, I'll help you guys and your friends out, if that's okay."

"Fine with me," Lloyd answered.

"If Lloyd thinks it's okay, then I think so too," Genis added.

"Good. Well, I've spilled my guts. Now its your turn," said Mia.

For the next couple of hours, all three of them told stories about their lives to each other. Mia told them about laguz, the Daein/Crimea war, and the antics of the Greil Mercenaries. In return, Lloyd and Genis told Mia about their adventures in Iselia. They laughed, they cried, they supported each other. Eventually, it was getting late, so the three of them turned in for the night.

* * *

Lloyd was having such a wonderful dream. He was defending Colette with valor and destroying the despicable Desians. He, Colette, and the others had completed the Journey of Regeneration and Iselia welcomed them back in open arms. Kratos had acknowledged him. Raine and Genis were proud of him. Mia and her friends, whom she had reunited with, were congratulating Lloyd. Colette was hugging him tight. They looked into each other's eyes, lips puckered, their faces getting closer and closer, until… BAM!

* * *

The next think Lloyd knew was his face was being introduced to the floor. He got himself off the floor and realized his bed had been overturned. He then saw Mia, fully dressed, with a smile on her face.

"Go get ready," she ordered.

"And why should I do that? The sun is barely even up right now!" Lloyd argued.

"Cause I'm going to train you for the next couple of hours. Meet me outside in ten minutes," Mia ordered then left the room.

Lloyd was bitter at Mia for waking him up so early in the morning, but excited that he gets to train. He looked over at Genis, who was sound asleep still.

"_Lucky. He gets to sleep in, but how did he sleep through all that. Must be a sound sleeper_," he thought.

Lloyd got ready and found Mia outside clutching two swords not unlike his Wooden Blades.

"What are you doing with those wooden swords?" he asked.

"We'll be using them to train," Mia told him.

She tossed one of them to Lloyd, who caught it.

"Why are you giving me only one sword? You know I fight with two," Lloyd asked.

"True, but you also told me last night that you taught yourself how to fight. I'll teach you the basics along with how to fight with one blade first then help out however I can with two blades," Mia responded.

"I guess that's okay," Lloyd said.

"Now, normally I don't hold back in training or sparring, but I'll make an exception for you. So, first, I want you to come at me with everything you got," Mia ordered.

"Sure. Get ready!" Lloyd shouted as he charged Mia.

He swung his blade, trying to hit Mia. She back flipped out of the way then charged Lloyd. Lloyd swung his blade again, forcing Mia to block. He then did a sweep kick, knocking Mia down. Then he swung at her again. Mia rolled out of the way and got back up. Lloyd charged again, thrusting at her several times with the use of Sword Rain. Mia managed to block most of the blows, but the last one got through and stunned her. He then followed it up with a couple of strikes and a blast of Demon Fang. Mia stumbled backwards from the blows.

"Impressive! You're better than I thought! Time to up the ante!" Mia bellowed.

Mia went after Lloyd, repeatedly swinging at him. It took everything Lloyd had to keep up with and block the attacks. She stepped back and jumped into the air, lunging at Lloyd. Lloyd had to use all his strength to block. He avoided the blow, but not the force. The force of Mia's attack caused his body to recoil and stumble back. Mia took advantage of this, jumped back, assumed a unique stance, and then rushed Lloyd, striking him repeatedly with several quick, sharp blows. Lloyd fell to the ground in defeat.

"AUGH!" he yelled out in pain.

Mia went over to Lloyd and helped him up.

"What the hell was that last move?" Lloyd asked.

"That, Little Ike, was Astra, a Skill unique to all of Tellius' Trueblades," Mia answered.

"Stop calling me Little Ike!" he yelled.

"We'll see…" said Mia. "You did well, Lloyd. You're stronger than I thought, but you need to refine your skill. I'll help you out however I can."

"Thanks. Can you teach me how to do Astra?" he asked.

"When you're strong enough, I might," Mia told him. "In the meantime, I'll just teach you some simple stances. Try this one first."

Mia assumed a stance. She held her wooden sword in both hands, right in front of her body. Her knees were slightly bent and her gaze was straight ahead. Lloyd then attempted to copy the pose.

"Lloyd, you need to bend your knees more. Straighten out your wrists. Relax your back and look straight ahead," Mia taught him.

As Lloyd sought to correct his stance, he felt glad that someone was teaching him something he actually liked. He would learn these new skills and use them and show Kratos that he is not worthless.

**Lunar: I know what some of you are thinking: Someone other than Kratos is teaching Lloyd how to fight!? Yes, that's right. I wanted to change that dynamic. Don't worry; Kratos will still teach Lloyd, but in a different way. Well, that's all for now. Next Chapter: The Desert Oasis!**


	3. Chapter 2: The Desert Oasis

**Lunar: Well, here's Chapter 2. More of a filler chapter than anything. Sorry about that. Anyways, I hope you enjoy reading this.**

* * *

**Chapter 2: **_**The Desert Oasis**_

It's been three days since Lloyd and Genis met Mia. Currently, they and the protozoan, Noishe, are traversing the Triet Desert. Mia was leading the group, proudly marching and not letting the heat get to her. Genis was right behind her, sweating, but still keeping up. As for our protagonist, well… he was half-passed out, being carried by Noishe.

"This is so boring!" Lloyd yelled.

"If it weren't for the random monster encounters, I'd probably be in the same boat as you, Lloyd," said Genis.

"So… hot…" Lloyd complained.

"Well, that's what you get for deciding to charge into the Triet Desert at full speed, causing you to nearly get heat stroke," Genis chastised Lloyd.

"You think the Triet Desert is bad! Ha! You should have been there with me when we were in the Grann Desert or the Desert of Death or the Kauku Caverns! Those places, my friends, were HOT!" said Mia.

"Urgh…" Lloyd sighed. "Why is this desert so hot!?"

"According to legend, somewhere in this area is a gate that leads to Efreet. The heat in this area is due to Efreet's influence," Genis answered.

"How can one person do such a thing?" Mia asked.

"That is because Efreet is not a person, Mia," Genis responded. "Efreet is one of a group of beings known as Summon Spirits. They rule over the elements. Specifically, Efreet is the Summon Spirit of Fire."

"So Efreet uses his power over fire to alter the environment so that it becomes a desert?" Mia deduced.

"More or less," said Genis.

"That's good to know. I always like learning. Never know when a single piece of knowledge could mean the difference between life and death," said Mia.

"Agreed," Genis said.

Meanwhile, Lloyd had been lost in though, a rare occurrence for him.

"A gate that leads to Efreet?" he whispered. "Genis! Could that gate be…"

"Yeah. I'm sure that's the seal that Colette's headed for," Genis interrupted.

"Ah! Then that means Colette's in this area somewhere. …Man, you know a lot of stuff!" Lloyd praised.

"That's because I don't sleep in class like you do," Genis argued.

"Shut it, Genis," Lloyd ordered.

"I wonder where exactly your friend Colette and her companions are," Mia said.

"The Triet Desert covers a vast area, so it's not going to be very easy to find her," said Genis.

"They probably stopped by the city, right?" Lloyd asked.

"Yeah, I hope we can find something there," Genis sighed.

"It'd be nice if Colette left behind some sort of evidence or mark that she was there," Lloyd mumbled.

"Like the wall at school," Genis smirked.

"Heh. I doubt that'll happen again," Lloyd chuckled.

"Yeah. I guess you're right," Genis said, shaking his head.

"Genis, what do you mean by 'Like the wall at school'?" Mia asked.

"Well, as you put it yourself, Colette is a klutz, and a bad one at that," Genis started.

"We were cleaning out the school when Colette tripped, going right through the wall, leaving a hole in it that shaped perfectly like her," Lloyd continued.

"Wow. I don't think I know of anyone that clumsy. The closest person that comes to mind is Malakov," Mia said.

"I remember you telling us about him. Loves to get drunk and get in debt a lot. His sister, general, and fiancée often have to bail him out of situations," added Genis.

"Yeah, from the sounds of it, you would think he's a horrible warrior, but he's got some skill with the sword," Mia informed them.

"I'd rather be drunk and in debt right now than be stuck in this stupid desert," Lloyd whined.

"Stop complaining, Lloyd," Genis fussed. "Besides, we're here."

Lloyd lifted himself off Noishe to see some buildings and an oasis nearby.

"We made it to Triet! Last one there is a rotten Desian!" Lloyd shouted as he shot off towards the city.

"How is it that he's down in the dumps one minute then a hyperactive knucklehead the next?" Mia asked.

"Raine says he might be bipolar or have Attention Deficit Disorder, but you didn't hear that from me," Genis whispered.

With that, Mia, Genis, and Noishe walked off to catch up to Lloyd.

They managed to catch up to Lloyd just outside the city limits, nearly passed out.

"Got too excited and passed out from heat exhaustion, eh, Little Ike?" Mia asked.

"Name's… not… Little Ike…" he moaned.

"I have the perfect solution for this," Genis said.

He pulled out his kendama and chanted, "Icicle!"

Ice erupted from the ground, pelting Lloyd. He immediately shot up.

"Cold! So cold!" he shouted, shivering from the cold.

"Better now, Lloyd?" Genis asked.

"Ugh… I did not like that, but thanks," Lloyd replied. "So, we're finally here in Triet. Let's see if we can find Colette, the Professor, and Kratos."

They walked into the city to begin their search. As they did, they spotted a group of Desians. Lloyd, Genis, Mia, and Noishe quickly hid in a nearby stable, not wanting to start a fight inside the city.

"This is an order from Lord Forcystus! A human named Lloyd is on the run with an Exsphere. His identification code is unknown and has two accomplices with him. Form a cordon in all areas immediately," a Desian ordered.

"What does this Lloyd look like?" a second Desian asked.

The first Desian held up a wanted poster, which had a crudely drawn photo of Lloyd on it.

"His likeness and description are on the wanted posters. We're counting on you," the first Desian informed them.

"Yes, sir!" the other Desians replied.

The Desians split up to explore different parts of the city. One of them puts up a wanted poster, and then walks off.

"Man… wanted posters and search parties. They're really serious about wanting your Exsphere, Lloyd," said Mia.

"We need to hurry and find Colette," Genis suggested.

"Hey, I thought we were looking for Colette to protect her," said Lloyd. "This is more like we're looking for her to get help."

"Does it really matter why we're looking for her? You think too much when you don't have to!" Genis yelled.

"Fine… Let's just leave Noishe here for now and search the city for clues," Lloyd suggested.

"And make sure to avoid all Desians. We don't want to start any trouble right now," Mia added.

The three of them left Noishe in the stable and began their search for Colette. As they did, Lloyd wanted to get a better look at the wanted poster and approached it.

"Is this the wanted poster?" Genis asked.

Lloyd's photo was distorted, to say the least. His hair looked like a porcupine, his eyes were shut and his face looked swollen. His head was too big for his body, he looked like a chibi, and his signature outfit was… gaudy… and seemed to be spandex-like.

"…Am I this ugly?" Lloyd asked, his self-esteem waning.

"It's good. They'll never find you with this," said Genis. "…I think…"

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say Boyd drew this. He thinks he's an artist, but he can't even draw stick people. You should've seen the Valentine he drew for Mist last year. We couldn't tell if what he drew was a heart or a slab of meat," Mia chuckled.

"What's whit this poster!?" Lloyd bellowed, his attitude suddenly shifting. "They got me all wrong! They've ruined my handsome face! And I don't wear spandex like some long-haired pretty boy disco freak!"

* * *

**Somewhere on Derris-Kharlan…**

"ACHOO!"

"Are you coming down with something, Lord Yggdrasill?"

"No. But I do think someone's taking about me! I swear! If the Grand Cardinals are making yet another gay joke about me, heads are going to roll!"

"Of course, milord."

* * *

"Really? I think it looks a lot like you," Genis smirked while Mia just laughed.

"Oh, really? THANKS for your opinion, Genis," Lloyd sarcastically replied, giving Genis a cold glare.

"I… I was just kidding," Genis stuttered, suddenly worried about what Lloyd would do.

Lloyd just huffed and walked off. Genis and Mia shrugged and accompanied him. As they explored the city, they noticed a crowd. They walked over to the crowd to see what was going on.

"Come one, come all! Come see the hole that the Chosen made in this wall!" someone announced.

The three warriors went wide-eyed and forced their way through the crowd. When they got there, they each had different reactions. Mia started laughing out loud. Genis was shaking his head in amusement. Lloyd was just smiling. The hole in the wall was exactly like the one Colette had made at the schoolhouse in Iselia.

"Looks like you were wrong about the 'hole in the wall' thing, Lloyd," Genis chuckled.

"For once, I'm glad I was wrong. At least we now know that Colette was here. But where is she now?" Lloyd asked.

"You did say that they're looking for a seal. The place where Efreet resides, correct? But where is it?" Mia asked.

"That, no one knows," Genis said.

"Let's keep looking. We'll find a clue," Lloyd urged his companions.

At Lloyd's urging, the three continued their search. They searched high and low, looking for any clues as to where Efreet resided. Then, Mia noticed something.

"Oh, Yune!" she exclaimed. "A fortuneteller's tent! I have to get my fortune read!"

Mia then sped off, eager to learn her fortune.

"A fortuneteller?" Genis pondered.

"Let's go see. Who knows? Maybe the fortuneteller will point us in the right direction," said Lloyd.

The two headed over to the fortuneteller's tent and went in. They found Mia right in front of the fortuneteller, talking with her.

"Welcome to the House of Fortune. What would you like me to divine for you?" she asked.

"Two things: the location of my five missing friends and what exactly my white-clad archrival is up to right now," said Mia.

"Also, I'd like to know where Colette… where the Chosen is now," Lloyd interrupted.

The fortuneteller thinks for a moment, and gives her answer.

"Understood. That'll be 300 Gald," she tallied up.

"What!? That's expensive! First the House of Salvation, and now you! What's next? I'm gonna get charged to breathe or something?"

"…Did you say something?" she asked, as if she had been snapped out of a daydream.

"Ah, n… no, I…" Lloyd stuttered.

"Here," said Genis said as he handed over the Gald.

"I will start with the lady's requests, then the young man's," she replied.

The fortuneteller began to gaze into the crystal ball, searching for answers.

"Ah! Young lady! I see your five missing friends! I can see the general location of where they are. Good news, they're all alive and well. Now I shall tell you where they are. I see that a blue cat represents one of your friends. He is currently sitting in a jail cell, but don't fret! A crimson knight will free him soon and you will meet up with the knight and cat. The cat will be the first you reunite with," the woman started.

"_The cat must be Ranulf, but who's the knight and why is he jailed?_" Mia pondered.

"Your next friend is represented by lightning. She is in the lands east of here, in the city of many boats. She is hungry, but otherwise okay. You will meet her when a relative of the mage's deceased friend is in mortal peril," she predicted.

"_She must be talking about Ilyana, but who's this 'relative of the mage's deceased friend'. She could be talking about Genis' friend Marble, but I'm not sure…_" Mia thought.

"The third friend is symbolized by an orange-brown cat. She is stuck in a village of adventurers, hiding from mercenaries, awaiting the blue cat to save her," the fortuneteller continued.

"_She has to be talking about Lyre and she's being hunted down, but she can take care of herself for now. Where is she, though?_" Mia asked herself.

"The fourth friend is symbolized by wind. He is in an ancient city, learning about the past. You will meet him right before the time of sacrifice," she informed Mia.

"_Most likely Soren there. …A sacrifice? A ritual of some sort, I guess,_" Mia told herself.

"Your fifth and final friend, whom is most precious to you and is represented by blue flames, is now currently residing in a city of water. He is acting as that city's guardian. You must reach that city before the Chosen's third trial. Otherwise, his life will be in grave danger!" the fortuneteller warned.

"_That's Boss!_" Mia exclaimed in her head. "_I know that Boss can handle himself, but I'm still worried…_"

"Now, as for you white-clad archrival, Miss, I see her more clearly than your friends. Right now, she is in your ruler's castle, in the throws of passion with a dignitary of her country. The man who speaks so much, yet says so little, constantly asks her to marry him, but she refuses, stating her duty to the Emerald Queen is more important. Your rival is also thinking about you and your friends as well, wishing for your safety," she finished.

"_Lucia and Bastian… When will they get their act together?_" Mia thought as she shook her head.

Mia took out a piece of paper and a pen, quickly writing down all the fortunes for future reference.

"I've done the lady's fortunes; now for the young man's," said the fortuneteller.

She gazed into the crystal ball once more, searching for answers.

"Mmm… I can see her!" the fortuneteller exclaimed. "The Chosen is heading for the oasis that is said to have been destroyed when Efreet went out of control."

"…Is that true?" Genis asked.

"The Chosen's companion said so, so there's no doubt," the fortuneteller replied.

Lloyd and Genis sweatdropped at that comment and took their leave, taking Mia with them before she could ask for more fortunes and spend more of their Gald.

"I guess that really wasn't any help. We didn't learn any useful information," Lloyd sighed.

"But we did. I now know that my friends are safe and sound, for the moment, and that I'll find them soon. And I learned that my rival is STILL refusing to get married," Mia corrected.

"And I know of the place the fortuneteller told us about. It's a group of ruins southwest of here called the Triet Ruins," Genis added.

"You know where it is!? Then let's go!" Lloyd shouted.

He attempted to take off, but Mia grabbed Lloyd's white scarf, keeping him there.

"Not so fast, Eager McBeaver!" said Mia.

"Hey! Mia! Let me go! We gotta go meet up with Colette!" Lloyd pleaded.

"Actually, it would be a wiser idea to remain here in Triet," Mia suggested.

"Why would you say that? I think Lloyd's right; we need to get to Colette as soon as we can," said Genis.

"Think about it for a minute. They're going to some ruins southwest of here. This is a huge desert and Triet is the only city in it," said Mia.

"I don't get it," said Lloyd.

"…Ah! I get it. Because Triet is the only city around in this desert, Colette HAS to come back here for supplies after she visits the seal!" Genis realized.

"Exactly. It would better to remain in Triet and wait for them to return than to exhaust ourselves trying to catch up to them at the ruins," Mia clarified.

"But that'd mean not seeing Colette for several days!" said Lloyd.

"What's wrong, Little Ike? Can't go a couple more days without seeing your girlfriend?" Mia teased.

"Colette's not my girlfriend!" Lloyd yelled.

"Hahahahaha. Okay, okay. Think about it this way. If we stay here in Triet until the Chosen arrives, I can spend this time training you. You'll get stronger," Mia suggested.

"…I suppose you're right. But let's start training right away!" Lloyd proclaimed.

"Sure!" Mia replied.

The three then began to search for an inn to stay at. As they did, they ran into a group of three Desians.

"Hey! Doesn't he look like the guy in the wanted poster?" Desian #1 asked.

"Let's see… Yeah, he looks just like it!" Desain #2 replied.

"Good for you Lloyd. They say you're good looking," Genis smirked.

"Do I really look that bad?" Lloyd asked.

"Of course not," Mia answered.

"You must be Lloyd!" Desian #1 shouted.

"…Yeah, that's right," Lloyd admitted.

"Hey, what about your usual 'Who are you to ask for my name' thing?" Genis asked.

"I'm not gonna even bother," Lloyd sighed.

"Heheh… I guess you can't run away with a poster of your face everywhere!" said Desian #2.

"You're really starting to piss me off!" Lloyd yelled.

"Get him!" Desian #1 ordered.

The three Desians then charged Lloyd and company.

"Lloyd, the swordsman is yours. Genis, get the one with the crossbow. Whipping boy is all mine," Mia ordered.

"Got it," said Lloyd.

Lloyd charged the enemy swordsman. The Desian swung his blade, trying to decapitate him. Lloyd blocked with his left blade, then swiped with his right blade, and turned on his heel, slashing the Desian with his left blade. As the Desian stumbled, Lloyd rushed up to him; Lloyd swiped at him right, left, right, and then followed it up smacking the Desian upwards then jumped and did a downwards slash with his Tiger Blade attack. The Desian fell to the ground, dead.

Genis dodged several arrows fired by his opponent. He fired blasts of water to distract his foe. He then ran and stopped in front of him, and swung his kendama. The kendama's ball made contact with the Desian's chin, sending him flying. Genis then cast Lighning, electrocuting the Desian. When the Desian made contact with the ground, Genis caused stones to erupt from the ground to bludgeon his opponent, killing him.

Mia was dancing around, dodging the whip her enemy was using. When the Desian swung again, Mia put Alondite in front of her to block. The whip hit the blade and wrapped about it. Mia yanked hard, causing the whip and the Desian to fly forward. She then sent her blade through the Desian's chest, twisted it, and ripped it out. The Desian died at that moment, lying in a pool of his blood.

"Heh. All talk," Lloyd scoffed.

"Lloyd, don't let your guard down, or you'll regret it," Mia warned him.

"I'm not letting my guard down. It's just that they were so pitiful… Whoa!"

The last thing he recalled was an attack at his back, Mia and Genis rushing to his side, and two Desians getting a hold of him. Then all went black.

* * *

**Lunar: So Lloyd's been knocked out. Uh oh. What will happen? And can you figure out what the predictions the fortuneteller made means? Regardless, keep your eyes peeled for the next chapter: Escape from the Enemy Base.**


	4. Chapter 3: Escape from the Enemy Base

**Lunar: And here's chapter 3! I particularly like this chapter. So many new things come in this one. Keep your eyes peeled for the new stuff. And without further delay, I present this chapter for your reading.**

**Chapter 3:**_**Escape from the Enemy Base**_

_Lloyd and Colette were sitting on the roof of Dirk's house, stargazing. Their friends were below, having a party, celebrating the regeneration of the world. Dirk was at his outdoor stove, doing some barbequing. Genis and Raine were using magic to create fireworks. Kratos was brooding near Anna's grave. Mia and her friends were exchanging stories._

_Colette looked over to Lloyd, her eyes slightly glazed over. She got closer to Lloyd, leaning on him and placing her head on his shoulder. Lloyd put his hand under Colette's chin, tilting her head up. Their faces got closer and closer, their noses practically touching each other, until…_

* * *

A sharp pain shot up Lloyd's back, causing him to jump. He looked around and saw he wasn't home; instead he was in a prison cell. It was dark and cold inside, as if it were designed to be devoid of life.

"I must've been dreaming. But that's twice I've dreamed about me nearly kissing Colette. Why the hell am I doing that!?" he thought. "But onto more important matters, like 'Where am I'."

He then hears two Desians talking. He strains himself to listen in.

"…If so, I feel sorry for that Lloyd kid," said Desian A.

"Yeah. He can't possibly escape execution," Desian B replied.

"…Execution!? What the hell!?" Lloyd's thoughts screamed.

Just then, another Desian appears.

"Hey, Lord Botta's calling you," Desian C informed them.

"Gotcha," said Desian B.

Desians A and B left to go meet with this 'Lord Botta' while Desian C remained to stay on guard.

Lloyd then takes a moment to examine his situation.

"Dammit. They took my swords, and I can't open the door with the guard there. The only thing I have on me is the Sorcerer's Ring I got from the Martel Temple… I wonder… If I can hit the guard with its fire…" he thought.

Lloyd takes careful aim at the guard and, using the ring, fires a blast of fire at the guard. The fire hits Desian C, causing him to run away, crying all the way to mommy. Lloyd works the lock to his cell for a moment, and gets the door open. He walks out and takes a look around, checking for more guards. He sees none and takes this moment to bolt.

However, he stopped the moment he heard someone shout, "Hey!"

Lloyd quickly looked around, anticipating an ambush. Oddly, no Desians were around.

"Who said that?" he asked.

"I did," the voice replied.

"Where are you?" Lloyd asked.

"In the cell," the voice replied.

Lloyd looked around and saw a jail cell nearby and cautiously approached it. He peered in and saw a young man sitting inside. He had blue hair and blue eyes. He had on a brown and orange shirt, what appeared to be an orange skirt of some kind, blue pants, green fingerless gloves, green boots, and an orange headband designed to protect ears. However, this guy didn't have ordinary ears. He actually had blue cat-like ears. In addition, he had a blue tail.

"Who… are you?" Lloyd asked.

"Name's Ranulf and I'd appreciate it if you let me out," he introduced himself.

Now, that rang some bells in Lloyd's empty head. This guy fit the description of what Mia called 'laguz'. The only reason he even remembered that is because he found the idea of shapeshifting into giant animals that can fight rather exciting. And, if he recalled correctly, Ranulf was the name of one of Mia's missing friends.

"Does the name Mia Wayu mean anything to you?" Lloyd asked out of nowhere.

Ranulf's eyes widened for a moment then softened.

"And why would you want to know?" he calmly asked.

"That's because she and I are traveling together and helping each out. To the best of my knowledge, she's safe and sound with my best friend and not here," Lloyd answered.

"I see… Then you and I, my friend, have a common goal," said Ranulf. "Yes, the name Mia rings a bell. She's one of my companions. Let me out and I will help Mia aid you. I believe she has told you what I'm capable of."

"She has. I'm quite eager to see exactly how you laguz fight. I'll let you out," Lloyd responded.

Lloyd tinkered with the lock for a moment and popped it open, freeing Ranulf. Ranulf walked out of his cell and shook Lloyd's hand.

"Thanks, friend," he said.

"Anytime. And the name's Lloyd," Lloyd greeted.

"Nice to meet you, Lloyd. Now, let's see about getting out of here," said Ranulf.

They two of them made their way down the hallway when they found what appeared to be a check-in station. On the desk was Lloyd's missing equipment.

"Sweet! My stuff!" Lloyd exclaimed as he rearmed himself. "Now I can fight."

"You fight with two blades?" Ranulf asked.

"Well, yeah," Lloyd replied.

"That's weird. And I've met the weirdest beorc, laguz, and branded around," Ranulf commented.

"Ha ha ha," Lloyd replied sarcastically.

The two continued to the end of the hallway, where they unexpectedly ran into two Desian guards.

"Who the hell are you?" Desian Alpha asked.

"Uh-oh," said both Ranulf and Lloyd.

"P…Prison break!" Desian Beta shouted.

They charged the two escaped prisoners. Lloyd quickly swiped at his opponent twice and sent a Sonic Thrust right through his chest, killing him.

Ranulf kneed his opponent in the gut, causing him to stumble. He then did a sweep kick, knocking him to the ground. He then stomped on the Desian's neck, causing it to make a sound equivalent to breaking wood. The Desian was dead.

"How come you didn't transform? I wanted to see a giant cat!" Lloyd pouted.

"Well, excuse me for wanting to save that for when we absolutely need it. I can't stay transformed for too long," Ranulf replied.

Just then, red lights started to flash and a siren began to blare, signaling a jailbreak.

"Let's get out of here!" said Ranulf.

"You could say that again," Lloyd replied.

The two ran into the next room, which was filled with plenty of technology. Two robots were roaming the area and there were two blue platforms on the floor. There was also a cauldron-like object nearby. Intrigued, Lloyd and Ranulf went to investigate it.

"Hmm? What's this?" Lloyd asked.

"Looks like a disfigured pot to me," said Ranulf.

Just then, Ranulf's ears perk up.

"Someone's coming! We gotta hide!" he warned.

The two hide themselves underneath a machine just as two Desians came into the room.

"Where are they!? The kid in red and the sub-human disappeared!" Desian Gamma said.

The two Desians search the room for Lloyd and Ranulf. Lucky for our two heroes, they are undiscovered. Lloyd noticed a flicker of anger on Ranulf's face at the mention of 'sub-human'.

"They're not over here either!" Desian Delta shouted.

"That's strange. How could we miss them when there's only one exit?" Desian Gamma asked.

"Let's head back," Desian Delta replied.

The two Desians head for the door and try to open it, but failed to.

"Oh, yeah. This room has a special mechanism," said Desian Gamma.

The Desians lead the two robots onto the blue platforms. They then electrocuted the robots. The door slowly opens.

"It's annoying to go through all the trouble of electrifying them and moving them over the panels just to open the door," Desian Delta sighed.

"Lord Botta sure likes to do things the hard way…" Desian Gamma sighed as well.

"All right, let's go look for that kid in red and that sub-human," ordered Desian Delta.

The two Desians exit the room to continue their search for Lloyd and Ranulf. Lloyd and Ranulf crawl out of their hiding place.

"Red, red, red. Does my outfit stand out so much? Sheesh," Lloyd sighed.

Lloyd noticed that Ranulf seemed to be in a bad mood and decided to get back on task.

"Now, let's see… Hey, Ranulf, we should take a closer look at that cauldron-like thing," Lloyd suggested.

Ranulf snapped out of his funk and they examined the object. Lloyd's Sorcerer Ring began to glow purple when the ring touched the object. It also began to crackle with electricity. Lloyd aimed at the air and fired. Instead of fire, a ball of electricity came out of the ring.

"The fire changed into a ball of electricity. That's weird for the ring to do that. Maybe I should stop at those weird machines with this. I guess we should check out any weird devices like this," said Lloyd.

"I guess…" said Ranulf. "Hey, you think we can use that to blast those metallic things and get out of here?"

"Probably. You lure them over to the blue areas and I'll electrify them," said Lloyd.

Ranulf ran to one of the robots and got its attention. He lured it over to the blue platform where Lloyd used the ring to hit the robot, electrocuting it. The robot stayed in place, causing the platform to light up. They repeated the process with the other robot. When they finished, the door slowly opened and the two rushed out.

They ran down this hallway, empty except for the occasional robot, which got quickly destroyed by kicks and slashes. They made this way into another room, which had electrified columns, a console, and a silver lunchbox-looking object.

Lloyd and Ranulf examine the console. Lloyd tried to comprehend what the text on the console was saying, but all it did was give him a mammoth-sized headache. Ranulf, on the other hand, was able to read through it all and comprehend what it said.

"Ah, I see. To get to the entrance, I just push this thing here," said Ranulf.

Ranulf pushed a button and the room shook for a couple of seconds. Lloyd fell on his rump from the shaking. Ranulf got Lloyd up and they went to the southern door. However, they couldn't get the door open, no matter what they tried.

"They must have it blocked somehow," Ranulf commented.

"Now how are we going to get out?" Lloyd whined.

"Well, since we came from the east and we can't go south, we'll go north," answered Ranulf.

Ranulf went over to the console, quickly reread it, and pushed another button. The room shook once more. When it ended, Lloyd and Ranulf went through the door and found themselves in another hallway. They were trying to figure out their next move when a group of Desians appeared.

"Whoa!" said Lloyd.

"Hey, you! What are you doing here!?" a Desian shouted.

"Uh-oh!" said Ranulf.

They bolted down another hallway and took refuge in one of the rooms, which had lots of fancy furniture.

"Phew, that was close…" Lloyd sighed out of relief.

"Who the hell are you? And who let you out of your cage, sub-human?" a voice asked.

The two of the turned around and saw a man was standing behind them. He had long blue hair in a ponytail, a swallowtail cape, and an aura that would make most fangirls and yaoi fanatics faint at the sight of him. His right hand was extended, mana surrounding it, ready to use it when needed.

"I decided to take a little vacation. Hope you don't mind," replied Ranulf with a smirk.

"Give me your name, and I shall give you mine!" Lloyd proclaimed.

"Hahahaha! You both certainly have guts. But I'm afraid I don't see the need to introduce myself to a miserable little creature like you," the bluenette scoffed at Lloyd.

"What a coincidence, cause I don't see a need to introduce myself either to a moron who doesn't realize how pathetic he is," Lloyd countered.

The bluenetted got flustered and Ranulf let out a chuckle.

"Why you little …" the bluenette mumbled.

He got ready to blast Lloyd. Ranulf ran up to stop him, but the blunette just knocked him out of the way with a swat of the hand. Lloyd puts up his arms to defend himself and the bluenette notices the Exsphere on Lloyd's left hand.

"An Exsphere!? You're… Lloyd!?" the bluenette asked.

Lloyd lowered his arms slightly.

"And if I am?" he asked.

The bluenette slowly approaches Lloyd. Ranulf gets ready to attack him again, should he pull anything.

"Hmm, I see the resemblance," the blunette said.

Before the bluenette could say anymore, Lloyd and Ranulf attempted to attack their captor, but he dodged both attacks easily. Before he could counterattack, several Desians, led by a Desian that looked like a tall, pale, ebony haired, half-elven Dirk clone, came in.

"Sir! We've received reports that the Chosen's group has infiltrated the facility!" the half-elven Dirk clone said.

"You! You're that Desian that attacked Iselia!" Lloyd shouted.

"So, you're Lloyd! Now this IS amusing!" said the Dirk clone. "And the sub-human's escaped his cage! Good! Now I can be rid of you!"

"Don't mess with me," Ranulf sneered.

"Botta! I'm leaving for now! Our plans will be ruined if he sees me," the blunette said.

_"Who is he talking about?"_ Ranulf thought.

"What of the Chosen?" Botta asked.

"I'll leave that to you," the blunette ordered, who then turned to Lloyd.

"Lloyd. The next time we meet, you're mine," the blunette promised.

He then turned to Ranulf.

"Sub-human, I will know how you got here to Sylvarant. Just you wait," warned

The bluenette leaves, leaving Botta and his henchmen to deal with Lloyd and Ranulf. The two heroes found themselves surrounded with no way out. They braced themselves for one hell of a fight.

Suddenly, bolts of lightning rained down, striking and killing several Desians. Other Desians suddenly ended up missing a head. As Botta turned around to see what happened, two purple and orange flashes crashed into him. The purple flash sliced Botta's sword in half and the orange flash sent Botta rolling several feet.

Lloyd and Ranulf turned to see that four people had come to their rescue. One was Genis, clad in blue and wielding his kendama. Another wore white and had blood-covered chakrams in her hands, her long blonde hair draped over her shoulders. Her name: Colette, the Chosen One. A third was clad in purple, had a serious look on his face, his double-edged sword drawn for combat. This was the mercenary Kratos Aurion. The fourth wore orange and held a white two-handed blade in her hands. That was Lloyd's newest companion, Mia.

"Lloyd, are you okay?" Genis asked.

"Lloyd, are you all right?" Colette asked.

"Ranulf! I'm glad to see you're safe!" Mia exclaimed.

"Guys! All of you came for me?" Lloyd asked.

"Mia! Finally! A familiar face! Good to see ya!" said Ranulf.

Kratos then turns to Ranulf and glares at him for a moment.

"Lloyd and his friend look fine," said Kratos.

"My good sir, you could put Soren to tears with that glare," Ranulf smirked.

Kratos then turned his attention to Botta, who was getting up.

"Ugh… I was not expecting so many of you. We'll have our fight soon enough, but, for now, I shall retreat," said Botta as he tossed his broken weapon aside.

"You're not going anywhere," said Lloyd, his sword pointed at Botta.

"Is that so? Well, how about this? STALAGMITE!" Botta chanted.

Cracks in the ground began to appear under Colette. Lloyd and Kratos realized what Botta was doing and ran to try and save Colette, but the wouldn't make it. Just as a sharp spire of rock jutted out of the cracks, Colette was slammed out of the way by Mia, and the spell went right through her left shoulder.

"Gaah!" she screamed.

Lloyd, Kratos, Ranulf, and Genis rushed over to Mia and Colette, ignoring Botta's escape.

"Mia! Are you okay?" Lloyd asked.

"I'll be… fine…" Mia coughed.

"Don't you dare die on us here, Mia. Ike would NEVER forgive me if you died here," Ranulf warned.

"Ranulf, you… know me better than that…" she said.

Kratos' hand began to glow green. He held his hand over Mia and chanted, "First Aid!" The wound began to close and the torn clothing repaired itself.

_"That reminds me of Micaiah's Sacrifice technique," _Ranulf thought to himself.

"She'll be fine for now, but we have to get her out of here," Kratos informed them.

Suddenly, a white-haired woman clad in orange with a rod strapped to her back came in. She saw the group and approached them. When she saw Ranulf and his distinctive features, she had the urge to examine and dissect him, but forced it down, knowing that now was not the time for scholastic curiosity.

"Professor Raine!" Lloyd exclaimed.

"Ah. Lloyd," Raine greeted. "Genis told me what had happened in Iselia."

Raine shot a cold glare at Genis, which made him flinch.

"I apologize for the trouble he's caused you," said Raine.

"No. I'm the one that got Genis involved. I'm sorry, Professor," Lloyd apologized.

"Save the chitchat for later. We shouldn't stay here long," Kratos interrupted.

"Yes, and with Mia injured right now, we really can't afford any fighting," added Ranulf as he was helping Mia stand.

"You're right. I opened the escape route just now. Let's go," Raine informed them.

As the seven of them fled, Raine noticed Botta's broken weapon on the ground, which had a mysterious crystalline-like object inbedded in it. She picked it up and continued with the others.

A little ways outside the Desian Base, the group stopped for a moment to catch their breath and for Raine to further heal Mia's injury.

As Raine left Mia to rest for a moment, she went up to Lloyd and Kratos and showed them the broken weapon.

"I have a question. This crystalline object attached to this weapon… Is this one of the Exspheres that Genis spoke of?" she asked.

"It appears to be one," Kratos observed.

"It looks like the one Kratos uses," added Lloyd.

"I suppose it does," said Kratos.

"What are Exspheres?" Raine asked.

"It will take some time to explain. Let's get back to Triet first," Kratos replied.

"I suppose that is for the best. Besides, we need to get Mia to shelter. She's been healed fully, but she still needs to rest," said Raine.

"Agreed," said Kratos.

At that moment, about two dozen Desians surrounded the group of seven.

"You! You will all pay for humiliating Lord Botta!" one shouted.

"This is not good," said Raine.

"I know. One of us is no shape for combat and this is a bad place to fight," observed Ranulf as he held Mia up.

"What should we do?" Lloyd asked.

"I… I got this one," Mia said as she separated herself from Ranulf's support.

"Mia! But…" Lloyd started.

"Don't worry. I got this," she told them.

She took Alondite in her hands and twirled it in the air.

"Feel the power of Yune!" she shouted.

Mia then stabbed the sand with her sword.

"Holy Impact!"

Mana erupted from the ground, causing the sand to stir, blinding and injuring the Desian party. When the sand cleared, Lloyd, Genis, Colette, Kratos, Raine, Mia, and Ranulf had disappeared, escaping the Desians.

**So many new things! Ranulf, Yuan, Kratos, Colette, Raine, and the appearance of a Mystic Arte/Hi-ougi from Mia! :D So, next chapter, you'll get some more info on Ranulf and Mia and Ike in addition to a special Lloyd/Kratos scene I cooked up. So, watch out for the next chapter: Building More Bridges.**


	5. Chapter 4: Building More Bridges

**Lunar: Here's chapter 4. I hope you like this one. I do. I also got a new beta, someone who can actually spot all my errors with tense! :D Hopefully, that'll appease some of you. Oh, and to fishy, would you please leave an email or log in when you review? I want to properly respond to all those comments and suggestions you made. An Author's Note is not the place for that. Okay, enough of that. Time for story!**

* * *

**Chapter 4:**_** Building More Bridges**_

After Mia's attack had allowed them to escape the Desian blockade, she had collapsed due to her exhaustion from her injury and mana depletion. Ranulf and Kratos were forced to team up carry Mia back to Triet. They would've used Noishe, but he had stayed in Triet for some odd reason.

They managed to get themselves checked into an inn for the night and split four rooms between them. Genis and Raine would be staying in one room. Ranulf and Mia would be staying in a different room. Colette would have a room to herself while Kratos and Lloyd would be sharing the last room.

The seven of them gathered in one room to discuss things. Kratos and Lloyd informed everyone what an Exsphere was and Raine proclaimed that she wanted to equip the one. Luckily for her, she had a broken Key Crest in her possession and that Lloyd could repair it so Raine could use it.

Then Mia and Ranulf relayed their story to everyone. They informed them about Tellius, how they got there, and their missing companions. Raine was busy taking notes about Tellius and their adventures and asking all sorts of questions. Specifically, Ranulf had to explain about being a laguz and how he ended up imprisoned.

"Well, when I woke up after the storm, I found myself on the coastline near the Triet Desert. In order to cover more ground, I had shifted into my cat form, but I got lost in the desert and I eventually collapsed from exhaustion," Ranulf explained. "When I came to, I found myself in a cell. Some blue-haired pretty boy then attached this to my hand."

Ranulf removed his glove to reveal that that a blue Exsphere, along with a Key Crest, had been attached to his left hand. Mia, Lloyd, Colette, and Genis gasped while Raine and Kratos looked on in curiosity.

"I also discovered something else," he continued. "This Exsphere lets me do stuff, like this."

Ranulf swung out his fist at Kratos, sending a shockwave at him. Kratos instinctively blocked the shockwave with his sword.

"Interesting," said Kratos.

"That's odd. I've had my Exsphere for years and I can't do that without a sword. How are you able to do that?" Lloyd asked.

"My guess, from what you told me Exspheres do, is that because I'm a laguz, the Exsphere enhances my abilities in different ways," Ranulf deduced.

"Ranulf, you keep referring to yourself as a laguz. Why is that? Is it due to those ears and tail?" Raine asked.

"Well, it is because I am a laguz, a child of courage. As a laguz, I bridge the gap between animal and beorc, which is what you are," Ranulf explained. "Also, as a laguz, I have two forms: a beorc-like form, which I am in now, and an animal like-form."

"SHOW ME THIS OTHER FORM!" Raine practically demanded, stars in her eyes.

"Uh… okay…" Ranulf replied.

Ranulf began to glow blue for a second. He then began to change. Blue fur covered his body, his face became more feline, and grew claws. He then fell to his knees. In a matter of moments, Ranulf had become a giant blue cat.

"So, what do you think?" Ranulf asked.

"Awesome!" Lloyd and Genis cheered.

"Cute!" Colette chirped.

Kratos just grunted.

"I MUST DISCECT YOU!" Raine shouted with starry eyes.

She then pulled out a scalpel and began chasing Ranulf around the room.

"Lady, you're crazier than Gatrie when he sees a woman!" Ranulf shouted as he avoided Raine's frenzy.

Lloyd, Genis, Mia, Colette, and even Kratos were caught off guard by Raine's 'enthusiasm'.

"Is she always like that?" Kratos asked.

Genis looked down in complete and utter shame.

"I was trying so hard to hide it," he sighed.

"I could use some help, people!" Ranulf pleaded.

They saw that Ranulf had been trapped in a corner with Raine and her scalpel ominously looming over him. She had a smile on her face, a smile that only a mad scientist would have.

"Let's begin the research!" Raine declared.

As she lunged at Ranulf, Lloyd and Kratos had to restrain Raine from dissecting him into pieces.

"Let me go! I must know how he ticks!" Raine ordered.

"Get a hold of yourself," said Kratos.

"Mia! Give Raine your sword!" Genis suggested.

"What? Why the heck would I give Alondite to her!?" Mia argued.

"Because it's an ancient artifact! That's about the only thing that'll distract her from Ranulf. Remember what you told me? It's over a millennia old, right?" Genis replied.

Those words reached Raine's ears and she immediately perked up.

"What's that about a thousand-year old sword?" Raine asked.

"Mia, do as Genis suggested and give her Alondite. I promise you'll get it back in one piece," said Ranulf.

"Do I have to?" Mia pleaded.

"I must see this sword," said Raine.

"Mia!" Genis and Ranulf shouted.

"…Fine," she sighed.

With many tears and a pout, Mia reluctantly handed Alondite over to Raine. She did a quick examination of it.

"Simply marvelous!" she shouted with glee. "I can feel the power of this sword. It's mad of a metal I've never seen it before! I must examine it more closely!"

Raine hoists Alondite above her head with only one hand in victory and twirls it around like it weighted nothing. Lloyd, Colette, Genis, Mia, Ranulf, and even Kratos gasped in complete shock.

"H… How did she do that!?" Kratos asked.

"Raine's 'Ruin Mode' pretty much grants her superpowers," Genis explained.

"She's scarier than Lethe on a tear," Ranulf commented.

"The Professor is scaring me, Lloyd," said Colette.

"I know. She's scaring me as well," Lloyd replied.

"She scares us all," Mia added.

* * *

Later on, when they all separated for the night, Lloyd had repaired the Key Crest for Raine. After he checked up on Colette, he delivered the repaired Key Crest to Raine. He then decided to check up on Mia and Ranulf and see how they were. He walked into their room to find Mia lying down on her bed and Ranulf doing some light exercises.

"Hey, you two," Lloyd greeted.

"Hi, Lloyd," Ranulf greeted back.

"Oh, hey Little Ike," Mia replied.

"Ugh, why do you keep on calling me that? Anyways, how is your shoulder now, Mia?" Lloyd asked.

Mia rubbed her left shoulder with her right hand.

"Thanks to Raine's healing abilities, the wound is healed, but my shoulder is sore as hell. And I still feel a little winded from that one attack I used earlier," said Mia.

"You used up almost all your mana between your injury and that attack. Had Raine not been there, you'd of died," said Ranulf. "And I know Ike wouldn't have liked that."

"Yeah, but I'm still here, aren't I?" said Mia. "Besides, I wouldn't leave Boss. Not like that."

"Hahaha. So, Ranulf, why were you just doing some exercises?" Lloyd asked?

"Well, I was experimenting with the new abilities my Exsphere was giving me. From what I could tell, besides me being able to fire shockwaves, my physical abilities have been enhanced," said Ranulf. "And, I can do this as well."

Ranulf held his hand out in front of him and focused hard. As he did, a small ball of concentrated mana formed in his hand.

"Whoa, that's awesome!" shouted Lloyd.

"Apparently, I'm a lightning rod for mana. However, I have noticed that these abilities do no pass over to my cat form. A shame," said Ranulf.

"So, what does that mean? You not gonna go feral in battle anymore, Ranulf?" Mia asked.

"Oh, I still will. However, that doesn't mean these skills are going to the wayside. I think I'll stick to my fists for now. I just want to know what exactly are all the new skills I've gained and how effective they are against enemies," said Ranulf.

"Well, don't let Lethe know. You know how she is about those kinds of things," Mia warned him.

"Ugh… I don't know who's scarier: her or that Raine. They give me the willies!" Ranulf shuddered.

"Sounds like this Lethe is one to watch out for," Lloyd observed.

"Oh, you can bet on that one," said Mia.

"Yeah… You wanna know what bothers me? Why in the name of the goddess was I given this Exsphere?" Ranulf asked.

"Perhaps the Desians intended to use you as a weapon against Colette?" Lloyd suggested.

"Or they were trying to figure out how to copy your laguz abilities to their troops," Mia offered.

"Regardless, I'm kinda glad I did get it. However, the next time I see the Naesala clone, I'm breaking his nose," Ranulf commented.

Mia and Lloyd laughed out loud.

"So, Mia, I talked to Professor Sage. She said that she'll return your sword to you in the morning," Lloyd informed her.

"Really? That's great! …She didn't break it or anything, did she?" Mia asked.

"No. The Professor said that the sword's nearly indestructible because of Yune and Ashera's powers flowing through it," said Lloyd. "She said that you can have it back, but she said and I quote: 'I disapprove of an artifact such as this being used in battle, but it is not my weapon; therefore, it is not my call.'"

"Well, too bad for Raine. Alondite is special to me," said Mia.

"Why is that?" Lloyd asked.

"Oh, there are many answers to that question, Lloyd," answered Ranulf. "It was a blade of the hero Altina, it was used by the enigmatic Black Knight, and it is blessed with the power of two goddesses. But, I would guess that the main reason why Mia considers it to be special is because her beloved Ike gave her that blade."

Mia blushed and huffed at that comment, causing Lloyd and Ranulf to smirk.

"Seems like Genis and I were right. You do like Ike," said Lloyd.

"I don't like Boss like that!" Mia shouted.

"Ha! I remember when I first met the Greil Mercenaries. I could smell the attraction between you two," Ranulf commented.

"Ranulf!" Mia huffed.

"But, seriously, I do think that it's because Ike gave you that blade. He must really trust you if he gave you Alondite," Ranulf continued.

"I know…" Mia sighed.

"What's the significance of Ike giving Mia Alondite? I know that it's a powerful blade and that not just anyone can wield it, but I'm sure Mia's not the only one who can use it. There has to be another reason," said Lloyd.

"There is. You see, there's another reason why Alondite is special. Alondite was the very blade that killed Ike's father," Ranulf grimly informed Lloyd.

"What!?" Lloyd gasped.

"Yeah. As Ranulf mentioned, the mysterious Black Knight, who was Ike's archrival, once used Alondite. The Black Knight was one of our greatest enemies and one powerful swordsman. He also happened to be a student of Greil, Ike's father and the founder of the Greil Mercenaries. As we were trying to get Elincia, princess of Crimea, to the king of Gallia, Greil and the Black Knight fought. Greil was defeated and slain by the Black Knight and his sword, Alondite," Mia told him.

"Wow…" Lloyd gasped. "Ike entrusted you with the very sword that killed his own father? He must have absolute trust in you, doesn't he?"

"Yeah, he does…" Mia sighed. "I remember when Ike gave me Alondite. We were in the Tower of Guidance and Ike had just killed the Black Knight. Ike and Micaiah, the vessel of Yune, were with the Black Knight for his final moments. Ranulf, the others, and I were waiting in the next room."

* * *

_Mia, Ranulf, and a group of people were in a room inside the Tower of Guidance. It was a huge room, constructed with dark green bricks. The room had an ominous feel, like it was saying that the people inside the room were unwelcome there._

_"I hope Ike hurries up. Ashera is not going to wait for us before her Disciples of Order kill our friends outside," said Ranulf._

_"Be patient, Ranulf. This is a big moment for Boss. He finally avenged his father's death and overcame his biggest obstacle. Besides, no one deserves to be alone during their final moments, not even the Black Knight," Mia replied._

_"You're right. But we're short on time," Ranulf observed._

_"I know. He shouldn't be much longer," said Mia._

_Just then, the giant stone doors behind them opened and two figures came out. One was clad in a pink dress, headband, and cape, wore tan sandals, and had radiant silver hair. This girl was Micaiah. The other had a red cape, red headband, armor all over his left arm, blue hair, and carried two huge swords. One was being carried on his shoulders; the other was being dragged on the ground. This man was Ike._

_"All right. It's time for us to continue. Time is running out," Micaiah announced._

_She made her way to the front of the crowd and began to lead them higher up into the Tower. Mia followed, but turned to see Ike just standing there. Ignoring the group, Mia went back to Ike._

_"Boss, are you okay?" Mia asked._

_"I'm… fine…" Ike sighed._

_"You sure?" she asked._

_"Yeah. I'm just so overwhelmed, yet relieved at the same time," Ike answered._

_"I would think so. You defeated the Black Knight and avenged your father's death," Mia said._

_"Yeah… It feels like a great weight has been lifted. However, I mourn for the Black Knight… No. I mourn for the man behind the Black Knight: Zelgius. He was what I considered to be my final teacher," Ike confessed._

_"Oh, Boss…" Mia whispered._

_"Part of me wonders. I wonder what would've happened if my father hadn't left Zelgius behind in Daein and took him with him and mother. Zelgius could've been the brother I never had. We could've lived happily. And now, I lose one more connection to my mother and father…" Ike frowned._

_"Ike…" Mia sighed._

_She got real close to Ike and cupped his cheek with his hand. Mia then looked Ike right in the eye._

_"Ike, yes I know that Zelgius is dead. And I'm sorry that you mourn for him. But don't forget: you still have your sister, Mist. You also have the Greil Mercenaries, your father's legacy; they have helped, touched, and saved many lives, including my own. And you have all the happy memories you made with your mother and father. You even have the few, good memories of Zelgius. Nothing, and I mean NOTHING, can take them away from you," Mia reminded him._

_ Ike looked down for a moment, contemplating on what Mia had told him._

_"…You're right. I still have the Mercenaries, Mist, and my memories. Nothing can take those away from me. Thank you, Mia," Ike realized._

_"Anytime, Boss. It's not healthy to look back on the past shamefully," Mia advised him._

_"Yeah…" he sighed. "Hey, Mia. I have something that I want to give you."_

_Ike held out his left arm. In his hand was a magnificent, two-handed silver blade._

_"Isn't that..." Mia gasped._

_"Yes. That's Alondite, the sword of the Black Knight. The sword that… killed my father…" Ike explained to her._

_"And you wanna give that to me!? Why?" Mia asked._

_"Why? Out of everyone I know and care about, you're the one person I would absolutely be able to entrust this sword to. Alondite has committed many evils under the Black Knight. However, I know that, with you as the new wielder of Alondite, you will redeem the good name of Altina's blade and cleanse it of the sins of the Black Knight," Ike confessed._

_Mia took the sword from Ike and held it in her hands. She could feel the crimes the blade had committed radiating from it. She could feel the blessing Ashera had bestowed on it a millennia ago. Mia could also sense something else: the blade's desire to be used for good once more. She took a few practice swings with it, getting used to the feel of the sword. To Ike's and even Mia's complete surprise, Mia found that she could wield Alondite with one hand._

_"Wow, Mia. You must be as strong as me if you wield Alondite like that," Ike commented._

_"Well, you were my teacher, Boss," Mia quietly responded._

_Suddenly, Mia began to cry, her body racked with her sobs._

_"Mia! What's wrong?" Ike asked._

_Mia then grabbed Ike into a loving embrace._

_"Ike… Thank you," she sobbed. "Thank you for having so much faith and trust in me. Ever since I met you, I've always idolized you and your swordsmanship and wanted to become as strong as you and make you proud of me. With the act of giving me this sword, you've told me that I am now your equal, both in swordplay and in life. You don't know how happy this has made me."_

_"Mia, I always thought you were special, even back when we first met. I've always been proud of you. And I'll continue to be proud of you. All I ask is that you stick to your ideals, continue to better yourself, and protect the ones you care about," Ike asked of her as he dried her tears with his unarmored hand._

_"Of course. I will always do that. Thank you, Ike," Mia replied, her tears halting._

_The two then looked each other in the eye with the intensity of the hottest flame. They embraced each other more tightly. Slowly, their faces grew closer and closer to each other. They could feel the other's breath. Their eyes slowly closed as they felt a burning flame raze their hearts in the best way possible. Their lips were just millimeters apart when…_

_"Hey! Commander! Mia!"_

_The two of them jumped apart, feverously blushing. They turned to see a young man standing on a nearby stairwell. He had green hair, wore a dark green jacket, had on a black shirt that showed his midriff, black gloves, and tan pants._

_"Sothe! What's going on?" Mia asked._

_"You two just disappeared. We all were wondering where you went. You should've seen Soren; he was acting like a mother hen. I was sent to find you," Sothe explained. "…I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"_

_"O-O-Of course not! Sorry for disappearing like that. Let's get going. Soren's probably ranting like crazy at this point," Ike replied as he blushed._

_"Yeah. Hopefully, Ilyana will keep him in check until we return," Sothe chuckled._

_Sothe then dashed up the stairs to rejoin the others. Ike then picked up his golden blade, Ragnell, slung it over his shoulders, and began to walk towards the stairs. Mia stood there for a moment, admiring Ike and the sword he just gave her._

_"Hey Mia!"_

_Mia snapped out of her daze to find Ike at the foot of the stairs, looking right at her._

_"I want you to promise me something. Promise me that you will live. After we defeat Ashera, we have our whole lives ahead of us. I don't want to lose you. Not here. Not now. Not ever. I care about you too much to see you die," Ike pleaded._

_"I promise you that I shall live to see the dawn, Ike," Mia vowed as she walked up to him. "But I want you to live too. So many people care about you. Me especially. Don't die a heroic death; live a heroic life, Ike."_

_"I will. Now, come on! We have a world to save!" Ike replied._

_Ike grabbed Mia's free hand, which made her blush, and the two of them ran up the stairs to meet up with their comrades and defeat the goddess who had turned the continent to stone._

* * *

A lone figure stood outside the door to Mia and Ranulf's room, overhearing the tale of how Mia acquired Alondite. A lone tear fell down his cheek as Mia's tale reminded him so much of his own love and how much he missed her.

"Anna…" he whispered.

Kratos Aurion then walked away from the door and headed for the starry night, needing time to think and reminisce.

* * *

Back inside the room, Lloyd felt a tear slide down his cheek and unconsciously his thoughts zoomed to Colette. Ranulf was smirking, his eyes appearing as if he knew it all along. Mia had a goofy grin on her face, her eyes full of passion.

"Wow, Mia. Ike really does care about you. You're lucky," said Lloyd.

"I know. I cannot even begin to describe how much that one act of Boss giving me that sword made me happy," Mia sighed, turning a light shade of pink.

"I wondered what the two of you discussed down there. I've had my theories, but now I know. Why did Sothe have to ruin the moment anyways? You were so close, Mia," added Ranulf.

"Heh. I know. Remind me the first chance I get to give Sothe a good thrashing for that," Mia requested. "I forgot to do it before we left Tellius."

"Hahaha, I'll be sure to remind you, Mia," Ranulf chuckled.

"Yeah…" Mia sighed.

"Mia. Just admit it. You really do like Ike, don't you?" Ranulf pressed on.

"…Yeah. I do. I can't help it. He's done so much for me. But we've never really had a chance to talk about what happened in the Tower since Boss defeated Ashera," Mia sighed.

"Well, when we find him, I'll help arrange it so that you can have that talk," Lloyd promised.

"And I'll help as well," Ranulf added.

"…Thanks you two," Mia whispered.

"Anyways, I should leave the two of you be. I'm sure that you've got some catching up to do. Besides, Mia needs her rest. The Professor said, 'She may be healed, but if she doesn't rest, the mana exhaustion will make her sick,'" Lloyd announced.

"It is getting late. Don't worry about me; I'll get my rest. You should get to bed now too, Lloyd. We're getting up early for training, right?" Mia asked.

"Yeah," Lloyd sighed, his chances of sleeping in tomorrow flushed down the drain. "Well, good night you two."

"Night, Lloyd," Ranulf said.

"Good night. Don't have too many perverted dreams about Colette, Little Ike!" Mia added.

"MIA!" Lloyd yelled, blushing while covering his nose to prevent a nosebleed.

Mia and Ranulf just laughed as Lloyd huffed and stormed out of the room, none of then noticing the small orange bird perched on the windowsill.

* * *

The next morning, Lloyd forced himself to get up early. As much as he hated waking up with the sun, he hated being thrown out of bed by Mia even more. As soon as he got ready, he went outside to find Mia, Ranulf, and Kratos standing there, engaging in conversation.

"Hey, you guys! Where are Genis, the Professor, and Colette?" Lloyd asked.

"Hello, Lloyd. Genis, Raine, and the Chosen are all still asleep," Kratos informed him.

"Hey, Lloyd. I got some bad news for you," said Mia.

"What is it?" he asked.

"I won't be able to train you today," she informed him. "Kratos told us of a weapons shop here in Triet that sells leg and arm guards, which would be perfect for Ranulf here. So, Ranulf and I will be going to get them before the others wake up."

"Then who will train me? Or can I go back to bed?" Lloyd asked, more than happy to go back to sleep.

"Well, Kratos here has volunteered to train you today," Ranulf answered, pointing to Kratos.

"Kratos! Why?" Lloyd demanded.

"A second teacher can notice and correct errors the first teacher was not able to notice," Kratos replied.

"Besides, while I'm one of Tellius' strongest Trueblades, Kratty here is older than me; therefore, he has more experience than me, and experience is a much better teacher than strength or skill," Mia added. Kratos grumbled at his newly dubbed nickname.

"Ugh… Fine…" Lloyd reluctantly agreed.

"Well, then, good luck," said Ranulf.

"Kratty, don't pound Lloyd too deep into the sand, okay?" Mia asked.

"Very well. And please don't call me that," Kratos replied.

"But it's so much fun!" Mia laughed.

"Kratos, don't even bother. Once she has a nickname for you, she'll keep calling you that," Lloyd sighed.

"Whatever…" Kratos sighed.

"Well, then have fun," said Mia as she and Ranulf left.

"Okay then. Lloyd, draw your swords," Kratos ordered.

"We're not going to use wooden blades?" Lloyd asked.

"No. While they are useful, a true master of the blade trains with real swords, not wooden ones," Kratos answered.

"All right then," said Lloyd as he drew his swords.

"Don't hold back," Kratos ordered as he drew his sword.

"Got it," said Lloyd.

Lloyd charged Kratos, attempting to hit him with a cross slash. Kratos stepped back and used his blade to catch Lloyd's swords. He then pushed forward, sending Lloyd off balance. Kratos then closed the gap and kicked Lloyd in the gut, causing him to stumble more. He then struck Lloyd in the side with the flat of his blade, causing him to tumble to the ground.

"Had enough?" Kratos asked.

"Never," Lloyd sneered as he got back up. "Demon Fang!"

As the blast of energy flew at Kratos, he sidestepped the attack, only to find himself in the path of a Sonic Thrust, ready to impale him. Kratos raised his shield to block the blow, but was caught off guard when Lloyd did a sweep kick, causing Kratos to land flat on his back. Lloyd then pressed to offensive, wanting to be the one who drew first blood. Kratos blocked Lloyd's slash with his sword and focused for a moment.

"Fire Ball!" he chanted.

Three balls of flames fired from Kratos' left hand, ready to fry Lloyd. Lloyd was forced to step back and dodge the fire.

"Demon Fang!"

A blast of energy traveled along the ground, aimed at Lloyd. He used his sword to absorb the blow, and that was what Kratos wanted.

"Sonic Thrust!"

Kratos charged and made a stabbing motion at Lloyd. Lloyd was able to block the blow. Suddenly, rocks erupted from the ground, injuring Lloyd. Kratos then smacked Lloyd hard in the back of the head with the flat of his blade.

Lloyd fell to the ground, knocked senseless for a few seconds. When his thoughts cleared, he found Kratos standing above him, his sword pointing at Lloyd's neck.

"Yield," Kratos ordered, his eyes that of a battle-hardened veteran.

Lloyd released his swords to show that he had yielded. Kratos sheathed his sword and extended his hand to Lloyd to help him up. Lloyd took Kratos' hand and got up.

"So, how did I do?" Lloyd asked.

"You've grown some since the Martel Temple, mostly with Mia's help," Kratos observed. "However, you still have a LONG way to go, Lloyd."

"I see," Lloyd whispered. "You were holding back on me, weren't you? And not just by a little. I mean, you held back most of your strength and skill, didn't you?"

Kratos raised an eyebrow in complete surprise due to Lloyd's comment.

"You could tell?" he asked.

"Yeah. I already knew you were better than me, but that spar just showed me how much I needed to grow," Lloyd sighed.

"Well, if you could tell and you understand that fact, then you shall grow strong in time," Kratos informed him.

"I hope so, for Colette's sake," said Lloyd.

"Want to go again?" Kratos asked.

"Oh, you bet!" Lloyd gleefully replied.

Lloyd picked up his swords from the ground as Kratos unsheathed his sword again. They each took a fighting stance.

"At your ready," said Kratos.

"Oh, I'm ready," Lloyd chuckled.

The two then charged each other, both of them secretly enjoying this healthy spar.

* * *

**And that's the end of the chapter! I hope you liked all the character development I threw in. Next chapter, we go the Fire Seal and unlock the seal! Until then...**


	6. Chapter 5: The Seal of Fire

**Sorry, everyone! I was suppose to have this up last week, but my laptop was fried and I just got it back! :D So, here's you newest chapter. So, enjoy.**

* * *

**Chapter 5:**_**The Seal of Fire**_

After sparring for a couple of hours, Lloyd and Kratos decided to call it quits when Genis, Raine, and Colette came out of the inn. As Raine healed their minor wounds, Mia and Ranulf returned from their errands. Ranulf was now wearing blue leg guards, blue arm guards, and his gloves had been reinforced to give them more attack and defense power.

"Everyone's here now. That's good. Now, we need to head off to the Triet Ruins. If Remiel's words are correct, that is where the Seal of Fire shall be," Raine informed them.

"Then let's get going!" Lloyd shouted.

"Oh, and Mia, here is your sword. I'm impressed with how resilient it is, despite it being in so many battles, as I had been informed," said Raine as she handed Alondite over to Mia.

"Thank you. Now, let's do as Lloyd says and get going," Mia replied as she took the sword.

And with that, the seven of them and Noishe set off for the Triet Ruins. Lloyd, Genis, and Noishe led the pack, with Colette following close behind. Mia and Ranulf were behind them, comparing this desert adventure to their previous ones. Kratos and Raine took up the rear, watching the childish antics of Lloyd, Genis, and Colette.

In half a day's time, they managed to reach the Triet Ruins. However, as soon as they got there, they found themselves attacked by monsters. Fortunately, they were weak and quickly disposed of. Noishe had run off mid-battle, and was hiding from the monsters. The others had not seen him for quite some time.

In response to this surprise attack, Kratos decided to teach everyone a self-defense technique. Lloyd and Mia were especially excited to learn it. After a few minutes, each of them was able to summon a green force field that can be used in cases of emergency. Mia was doubly excited with this new technique and couldn't wait to incorporate it into her fighting style.

As they approached the center of the ruins, Raine began to geek out and began ranting and rubbing herself against the polycarbonate door that blocked entrance inside, saying it was smooth and wondrous.

"It's as if this 'polycarbonate' is an aphrodisiac for Raine," Ranulf observed.

Genis, and Mia laughed out loud while smirked. Lloyd and Colette cocked their heads and asked Ranulf what 'aphrodisiac' meant. He explained bluntly, while they finally understood the joke and laughed. After a few more minutes of feeling the polycarbonate, Raine instructed Colette to place her hand on a pedestal near the door. When Colette placed her hand on it, the door opened. They then went inside.

* * *

After a couple of hours of searching and Lloyd complaining about boredom, they finally managed to locate the altar where Colette was to give her prayers. As they approached the altar, mana erupted from within it, putting everyone on guard. The mana then made itself into three tangible forms. Two of them of took on the form of two-legged cats while the third took the form of a red tiger on fire that was larger than the other two.

"Whoa! These look like mutated versions of Izuka's Feral Ones!" Ranulf shouted.

"Ha! This won't be too hard. They're just over glorified laguz," Mia scoffed.

"Don't let your guard down," Kratos warned.

"Bring it," Lloyd taunted.

The ground suddenly began to quake and crack. Everyone jumped out of the way as searing-hot magma erupted from the ground, splitting up the group. The three monsters then attacked the Regeneration Group, aiming to finish them off.

* * *

Ranulf and Genis found themselves facing off against one of cat-like creatures.

"Ranulf, distract him so I can cast my spells," Genis ordered.

"Sure thing, Cap'n!" Ranulf replied as he shifted into his cat form.

"Better be careful. They seem to be flame manipulators and I'm weak against fire," Ranulf thought to himself.

Ranulf jumped high into the air and slammed himself into the monster. The monster crashed into the ground, but Ranulf suddenly found himself being burnt. He quickly got off and shifted back.

"Not good. Making physical contact in my cat form will injure me. Now what?" he said.

"Aqua Edge!" Genis chanted.

Blades of water skirted across the ground from Genis' location and blasted the injured monster. The monster immediately got back up and charged Genis. Ranulf, reacting to instinct, swung his fist, sending a shockwave at the beast, causing it to be distracted it from Genis. Ranulf then smiled.

"So, I just distract the creature with my new abilities and let Genis do the heavy hitting with magic," he thought.

Ranulf sent several more shockwaves at his opponent, stunning it. As it was stunned, Geins fired off another Aqua Edge at the creature, further injuring it. Ranulf then formed a ball of mana and threw the ball at it. It exploded upon contact, sending the monster into the air. Ranulf then jumped up high, summoned mana around his leg, and drop-kicked the monster hard, the mana protecting him from being burned.

Meanwhile, Genis was charging up another spell. As Ranulf's latest attack sent the monster plummeting to the ground, Genis unleashed a spell he had just learned.

"Pancake time! Stalagmite!"

A huge spire of rock shot out of the ground. The monster fell right at the rock and impaled itself on it. It screamed out for a second and then exploded in a flash of mana.

"Good job, Ranulf!" Genis congratulated.

"It's not over yet. Let's go help the others," Ranulf responded.

"Right!" Genis agreed.

* * *

Meanwhile, Mia and Raine were pitted against the other cat-like creature.

"Mia, I'll be your support," Raine said.

"Good. Watch my back," Mia added.

The monster shot fireballs at Mia and Raine. Mia swatted them away with Alondite and fired a blast of mana from her sword. The monster dodged and charged Mia, claws bared. Claws clashed with metal as the two collided. Mia swung and pushed her opponent aside and tried to go at it, but the monster dodged. It then stared wildly flying around Mia, using its superior speed to launch fireballs her way. Mia did her best to block, but some of the attacks were getting through, burning her. One fireball in particular landed at Mia's feet, causing her to stumble. As Mia was stunned, the monster charges, fangs ready to take a bite out of her. However, the monster found itself colliding with an invisible wall that Raine had put up at the last moment. It bounced back a couple of feet. She then quickly cast another spell.

"First Aid!"

Mia's burns partially healed thanks to a yellow aura that engulfed her. While she wasn't back at full strength, it was enough to let Mia get back on her feet.

"That thing's quick, quicker than me. Looks like Alondite can't get the job done. Have to go with plan B," Mia observed.

Mia stabbed Alondite into the ground, pulled out another sword from under her coat, and unsheathed it. It was a much smaller sword than Alondite and it was to be used with one hand. The blade was blue and curved and pristine sharp.

The monster charged again at Mia, but she disappeared in a flash of orange. She reappeared a moment later behind the beast and smacked it with the back of her sword. It stumbled, leaving itself open. Mia then ran up to the beast and slashed hard at it, sending it into the air. She then jumped up and slashed upwards, cutting the beast in half. It exploded in a plume of mana as Mia gracefully landed on the ground. Raine then ran up to Mia to tend to her.

"How did you increase your speed so much?" Raine asked as she healed.

"It's because of this sword," Mia explained as she sheathed the blue sword away. "It's called a Brave Sword. It is enchanted to give your speed a healthy boost."

"I see…" Raine commented.

Before she could say any more, a giant fireball came flying towards them. Raine managed to put up a force field to block it, protecting them.

"Looks like the fighting's not done yet," Raine observed.

"Then let's get back in the fray!" Mia proclaimed as she yanked her white blade out of the ground.

* * *

Lloyd, Kratos, and Colette found themselves taking on the biggest monster. All three of them had their weapons drawn, ready to fight. Right now, the crimson tiger was just staring them down.

"Colette, stay behind us. Kratos and I'll handle this brute," Lloyd asked.

"No, Lloyd. I will stay and fight," Colette said.

"Chosen, I must agree with Lloyd. Stand down. We cannot afford to have you injured or killed," Kratos added.

"Mr. Kratos, thanks, but no thanks. I WILL fight alongside you. I refuse to have my friends fight while I hide," Colette proclaimed.

"Colette…" Lloyd whispered.

"…As you wish, Chosen One," Kratos sighed.

The monster, tired of being ignored, jumped into the air and crash-landed in the group. Lloyd, Kratos, and Colette were forced to separate, but then quickly got into a triangle formation around their foe. Lloyd charged the beast, attempting to slash as it. He swung his swords in a X-motion, trying to attack the face. However, the beast caught both swords in its mouth and flung Lloyd into the air. Lloyd then flipped around and landed on his feet. He, along with Kratos, repeatedly slashed at the beast, but could only do minor damage. It then saw an opening and swung its tail at Lloyd, causing him to crash into a wall, knocking him out for the moment. Before the monster could press the attack, a chakram smacked it in the head.

The beast turned towards the instigator, Colette. It unleashed a flurry of flames at her, but Kratos intercepted the attack with a well-timed Guardian, deflecting all of the fire. Collette threw another chakram at her foe, this time managing to cut it. The beast responded by stomping the ground, causing it to shake, sending Colette and Kratos off-balance. The ground underneath them then cracked and leaked heat, signaling an Eruption spell. There was no time for escape and they were consumed by the liquid hot magma. Lloyd woke up from his daze and attacked the beast once more, but the monster quickly pinned Lloyd to the wall with one of its paws. The beast roared in triumph, but not for long.

As the smoke cleared, it was revealed that the Eruption spell did no damage to Colette and Kratos. A joint Force Field created by Genis and Raine protected them. At the same time, Ranulf and Mia sent a powerful shockwave at the beast, knocking it off of Lloyd. They then quickly regrouped.

"Let's finish it off now. I don't know how much more abuse we can take," Raine warned.

"Agreed. We end this now," Kratos said.

The beast quickly recovered and charged the seven of them once more. However, they were ready. As the beast came forth, Mia and Colette stepped forward.

"Ray Thrust!" Colette shouted as she threw her chakram.

"Azure Edge!" Mia called out as she swung her sword.

A chakram and a blast of energy flew at their foe, stunning it long enough for Genis to make his move.

"Pancake Time! Stalagmite!" he chanted.

A sharp rock jutted from the ground causing the beast to go airborne. Ranulf then leaped into the air after it. He gave the beast a crushing, mana-charged kick to the head, yelling out 'Moonlight Havoc!' as he did. The beast then began to plummet back down to the ground, where Kratos and Lloyd were waiting for him.

"Follow it up!" Kratos ordered.

"Got it!" Lloyd replied.

"Double Sonic Thrust!" they cried out.

Both swordsmen flew at the falling beast. Just before the beast crashed into the ground, Kratos and Lloyd slashed through it, cutting their foe to ribbons. The beast hit the ground and exploded in a plume of mana.

"We did it!" Genis celebrated.

"Man, that was tough!" Lloyd gasped.

"I've never fought anything like that before. That was a pain in the neck," Ranulf commented.

"Agreed. Fighting laguz, Daein, the Disciples, and the Goddess are nothing compared to this," Mia added.

Just then, the seal began to erupt red light.

"You, the Chosen of Regeneration. Offer your prayers at the altar," a voice echoed.

"What was that?" both Mia and Ranulf asked.

"That would be an angel. I believe it sounded like Remiel, the angel who delivered the Oracle," Kratos answered.

Colette approached the altar and assumed a praying pose.

"Oh Goddess Martel, great protector and nurturer of the earth, grant me thy strength!" she cried out.

The altar erupted with a bright red light, showing the shadow of a figure lying dormant in the seal. When the red light started to fade, a yellow light replaced it from the ceiling. From that light, an angel emerged.

"So that's an angel… amazing…" Mia gasped.

"Kinda looks like one of the herons to me…" Ranulf whispered to her.

"A little," she whispered back.

"Colette, my dear daughter, you have done well," Remiel congratulated.

"Thank you… Fa… ther…" she stuttered.

"The guardians of the seal have fallen, and the first seal has been released. Efreet will surely awaken soon. In the name of Cruxis, I shall grant you the power of the angels," Remiel announced.

"Thank you, milord," Colette replied.

A pink light rose up from the altar and flowed right into Colette's Cruxis Crystal. It glowed bright for a few seconds before fading. Just then, pink angelic wings made of pure mana shot out from Colette's back. Colette's new wings slowly caused her to rise into the air, but she remained lower than Remiel, hovering below his feet.

"The angel transformation will not be without pain. Yet, it is only for one night. Be strong and endure," Remiel warned.

"I humbly accept this trial," Collete answered.

"Good. The next seal lies far to the east, across the sea. Offer your prayers at that altar," Remiel informed the group.

"Yes, Lord Remiel," she replied.

As Remiel began to fade away in a flash of light, he said, "I shall await you at the next seal, the Chosen of Regeneration, my beloved daughter, Colette."

Once Remiel vanished, Colette descended to the floor, taking in a big sigh of relief.

"Colette… you have wings!" Lloyd cried out.

"Yep! And, look! I can put them away as well!" Colette informed them.

Her wings retreated into her back, disappearing from sight. Mia and Genis went wide-eyed at that.

"Well, that's something you don't see everyday…" Ranulf muttered.

"That's so cool!" Genis shouted.

"Man! You can do that!? Sweet!" Mia giggled.

"Yep! And I can bring them out again. Here! Look, look!" said Colette.

Colette's wings appeared once more and Genis and Mia's faces split into wide grins and cried out in glee. She repeatedly flapped them for Genis and Mia's enjoyment.

Meanwhile, Lloyd, Raine, Kratos, and Ranulf were discussing what to do next.

"He said the next place is across the sea! That means we get to sail on a ship! Whoo! I can't wait!" shouted Lloyd.

"A ship… hm… I wonder if there are any ships sailing with the way things are right now," Raine argued.

"We should head to the coast to see what we can find," Kratos suggested.

"I agree. In addition to the seals, Mia and I still have to locate our missing companions," Ranulf added.

"Seems like we now have two missions: locate and break the remaining seals and find your missing companions," Raine observed.

"It seems like locating these people will delay the Journey of Regeneration," Kratos said.

"No it won't! It's Colette's job as the Chosen to help everyone! And that means helping Mia and Ranulf find their friends! Besides, I promised Mia we would!" Lloyd argued.

"It wouldn't interfere with the journey, Kratos. We'll just search as we go and only go out of the way IF we has substantial evidence that says a friend is nearby. And if we don't find them all by the time Colette completes the journey, well then, we'll just find them afterwards. Mia and I are in no hurry to find them. While we are worried about them, Ike, Soren, Lyre, and Ilyana can take care of themselves," Ranulf added.

"Very well," Kratos responded. "Then I suggest we leave now. Spending the night inside of ruins can be dangerous."

Lloyd then turned to Genis, Mia, and Colette, who were still having fun.

"Okay, we get it already. That's enough," said Lloyd.

Colette put her wings away one final time as all three of them giggled.

"Okay…" all three of them said, sounding like kids with a hidden agenda.

* * *

The group had made it outside the ruins and was preparing to leave for Triet, when Colette felt woozy and began to stumble. She then fell, but Lloyd caught her before she hit the sandy ground.

"Colette! Are you okay?" he asked, staring into her eyes.

"I'm… fine…" she whispered.

Colette then got up, but she fell again. Lloyd caught her, but they both stumbled. Fortunately, Mia caught them both and prevented them from having a crash landing.

"That doesn't look like okay to me," Lloyd said.

"You don't look fine at all!" Genis shouted. "Your face is completely white! It's all our fault! Mia and I got carried away hand kept making her pull her wings in and out!"

"Colette, I'm so sorry. If I had known you'd get sick due to that, I'd of kept myself in check," Mia apologized, her face and voice racked with guilt.

"I don't think that has anything to do with it…" Lloyd observed.

"Now's not the time for that!" Raine snapped at everyone as she looked over Colette. "Her lips are turning purple. We must get her to a doctor in the city immediately."

"I'll do it. Between Noishe and myself in my cat form, we could get her there in an hour," Ranulf suggested.

"Agreed," Raine said.

"Really, everyone, I'm fine…" Colette whispered.

As Raine and Lloyd were about to hand Colette off to Ranulf, Kratos stopped them.

"Wait. It's best not to move her," Kratos told them.

"Why?" Lloyd asked.

"Yeah, why? Colette is sick! Don't you care what happens to her!?" Mia shouted at him.

"I do care. After all, if she dies, then I'm out of a job," Kratos replied. "Anyways, remember Remiel's words. The angel process requires her to overcome a trial. Rather than taking her to a doctor, it would be best to let her rest here."

Colette struggled to her feet once more, with both Mia and Lloyd supporting her.

"I'm… okay…" she whispered. "I'll be fine after a little rest. I'm sorry to cause so much trouble…"

"Stop apologizing all the time, you dork! It's not as if you can help it. You were suddenly turned into an angel," Lloyd chastised her.

"You're right…" Colette replied. "I'm sorry."

"Colette, what did Lloyd just tell you about apologizing?" Mia asked.

"I know…" Colette sighed.

"Well, we should set up camp before it gets dark," Ranulf suggested.

"Agreed. I spotted an oasis not too far from here. We can stay there," Kratos advised them.

"Then we should go there. Colette needs to rest," Genis said.

* * *

That night, everyone was resting around the oasis campsite. Kratos was leaning against the recently reappeared Noishe, keeping watch. Raine was reviewing her facts of Tellius she had heard from Mia and Ranulf and wondering what it was like there. Genis was on a mat, already asleep due to the day's exhaustion. Colette was standing near the water, gazing out, and occasionally coughing. Lloyd was eating some food and enjoying it. Mia was leaning against a tree, lost in thought, when Ranulf approached her.

"Hey Mia," Ranulf called out.

"Oh, hey Ranulf," Mia greeted.

"What are you up to?" he asked.

"I was thinking…" she said.

"About Ike and the others?"

"Not exactly. I am thinking about this journey we're on. Not too long ago, we just saved our world, and now we have save another one."

"Yeah. This is what now, the third time or is it the fourth? Did someone appoint us to be saviors of the world without our say-so?" He mused.

"Yeah, funny how that is. But now, we don't have Ike to help us, at least for now," Mia sighed.

"Don't worry. We'll find him soon enough, along with the others. But there's something else I need to talk to you about right now," said Ranulf.

"And what would that be?" she asked.

"Remember how I was captured by those Desians and held in that base?" he questioned.

"I do. What about it?" she pondered.

"Well, their leader has two scents on him. One was a scent that a living creature would have," Ranulf said.

"And what was the other scent?" Mia asked.

"It was a scent that I've never smelled before on any beorc, laguz, branded, or anything," Ranulf informed her. "It was as if I was smelling pure mana or magic, but I don't know for sure."

"So?" she asked, wondering where this was going.

"Well, the thing is… SOMEONE else has that scent as well," he replied.

"Who would that be?" Mia asked.

"That guy," Ranulf pointed to Kratos.

"Kratos?" Mia mused.

"Yeah. It worries me. If those two have a such a unique scent, its possible that those two are working together," a worried Ranulf said.

"Well, if you didn't notice, this place is different from Tellius. For all you know, dual scents might be normal," Mia countered.

"Perhaps, but I'm still concerned," Ranulf confessed.

"I understand, Ranulf. We'll keep an eye on him, but don't get worked up over it. We don't need you becoming the laguz Soren," Mia chuckled as Ranulf laughed.

"And I thought I was the one with the jokes," Ranulf choked out between laughs. "But you're right. We'll keep an eye out for now."

"Keep an eye out for what?" someone asked.

Both Mia and Ranulf turned around to see Lloyd standing there, finishing up his food.

"Oh, hey, Little Ike," Mia greeted.

"Stop calling me that!" a flustered Lloyd argued, to which Mia and Ranulf lauged.

"Anyways… what are you keeping an eye out for?" Lloyd asked after he calmed down.

"Our friends," Ranulf lied. "They're out there…. somewhere…"

"Yeah. I couldn't imagine what it would be like for me to be separated from Colette or Genis and not know if they're safe," Lloyd confessed.

"Its as if a piece of yourself is missing, isn't it?" Mia asked.

"Yeah, that's it, but how do you know?" Lloyd replied.

Mia shot a look at Lloyd that said 'Do you NOT know?'.

"Oh!" Lloyd realized. "Sorry. I forgot."

"That's okay. I know you have other concerns on your mind," Mia said as she looked off in Colette's direction.

"Colette… I hope she'll be fine," whispered Lloyd.

"Don't worry. If she's not fine by morning, Noishe and I will rush her over to Triet as fast as we can," Ranulf promised.

"Thanks. That means a lot," Lloyd replied.

"So, don't you think we should go to bed now? It's getting late," Mia wondered.

"It is, but I'm not tired. I'm still running on the adrenaline from today," Ranulf answered.

"I don't think I could sleep with Colette the way she is," Lloyd added.

"How about you go get Colette and we'll tell some campfire stories to knock us out?" Mia asked. "We can tell you the time the Greil Mercenaries broke into prison to free some rebels."

"You broke into a prison and freed rebel fighters!?" Lloyd gasped. "Awesome! I wanna hear it all. I'll go get Colette!"

Lloyd inhaled the last of his food and ran off to get Colette. As he did, Ranulf realized something.

"Mia, there's one more thing I need to tell you," he said.

"Oh? What is it?" she asked.

"That girl, Colette," he pointed out. "Ever since we released the seal, she's been developing another scent. Its faint, but its there."  
"Colette has another scent now? I guess that'd make sense; after all, she's becoming an angel," Mia figured.

"But the thing is, that second scent is the SAME as my captor's and Kratos'," Ranulf added.

Mia went wide-eyed, clearly caught off guard.

"What are you saying? You trying to tell me that your captor and Kratos are both angels or something?" she deduced.

"I just don't know. Ever since we learned how 'benevolent' our Goddess Ashera was, I've been forced to be suspicious about everything," Ranulf confessed.

"As paranoid as you seem, you do have a point, dang it," Mia sighed. "What we thought was good was evil and what was evil was good. If Soren were here, you two would be working on conspiracy theories or something. Regardless, all we can do is keep our eyes and ears open and be ready."

"True. I can only hope my paranoia is only that: paranoia," Ranulf wished.

* * *

**And we'll end it at that. Next chapter, I'm throwing the second of many monkey wrenches into canon Symphonia. Then, the following chapter will have the first appearance of the last of my Top 3 Symphonia people! I hope you bear with me.**


	7. Chapter 6: Threat to Triet

**Well, I got this chapter done a lot faster than the last one. I actually rather like this one. Not sure how you guys will like it, but I hope you enjoy. Like I said, starting roughly about now, I'm going to start screwing with canon more. It'll be slow at first, but by the Tower, you'll really start to see stuff going. Until then, I humbly present this chapter.**

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* * *

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**Chapter 6:**_**Threat to Triet**_

The next day, Colette was well enough to start traveling again. However, Raine suggested that they travel at a slow pace, for Colette was not at full strength. Therefore, what would've taken a half-day to get to Triet took two days instead. It was now the morning of the third day, and they had not arrived in Triet yet. As Mia prepared to wake Lloyd up for their daily training, an earthquake shook throughout the desert, causing Lloyd to waken right away.

"What the hell!?" he shouted.

"What in heaven's name was that?" Mia asked.

"Oh, my Martel! Lloyd, Mia! Get over here!" they heard Genis shout.

The two rushed to the top of a nearby sand dune where Genis, Raine, Kratos, Colette, and Ranulf were standing.

"No!" Lloyd shouted.

"Goddess Yune, how could this have happened?" Mia whispered.

From the top of the sand dune, they were able to see Triet. The city looked like it had been cleaved in two with an axe and several building were either aflame or in ruins.

"What could've done this?" Colette whispered.

"Most likely the Desians," Kratos replied.

"Those damn Desians! They will pay for this!" Lloyd shouted.

"We'll pay them back in spades soon enough, but shouldn't we check go check on the village first? Ranulf suggested.

"We should! I want to help all those innocent people," Colette argued.

"And Raine and Kratty's healing artes would be a boon for the injured," Mia added.

"Then, if we are going to Triet, we should move out at once," Kratos suggested.

"Let's go. And, so help me, if I see any Desians, they are going to pay!" Lloyd vowed.

* * *

Moving at a brisk pace, the group managed to get to Triet within in a couple of hours. When the got they, everyone, even Kratos seemed shocked. The damage was bad enough at a distance, but to see it up close….

Debris littered the streets and the city seemed to have gone into anarchy. Injured people were scattered throughout and a ditch as wide as a river was cut through the city.

"This is awful…" Raine gasped.

"Lloyd, is this what became of Iselia?" Colette regretfully asked.

"…Iselia wasn't as bad as this," Lloyd replied.

"I see…" was all Colette could reply.

"What should we do?" Genis asked.

"I propose we split up. The Professor, Ranulf, and I will start tending to the injured. Mia, you and Lloyd help go help out in the search efforts. Genis, you and the Chosen should go find out exactly what happened here," Kratos advised.

"That seems to be a good idea," Ranulf agreed.

"Then let's meet back up at the inn tonight; miraculously, that building was spared," Raine suggested.

"Agreed," everyone else replied as they split off into their groups.

* * *

Colette and Genis were going around town, trying to find out what had happened. Unfortunately, everyone was either comatose due to injury, too busy with the search and rescue, or too scared to tell them.

"I don't get it. What could've have rattled the town this much?" Genis asked.

"I don't know, Genis. But this is just so horrible," Colette replied.

"I seriously doubt that anyone will be willing to give us information. Perhaps we should join Lloyd and Mia in the search efforts," Genis suggested.

"Perhaps I might be able to help," a voice echoed.

The two looked around, trying to find the owner of the voice, but found no one.

"Who's there?" Colette asked.

"Over here," the voice replied.

The two turned to see a man leaning against a building. He was dressed completely in brown and carried a wide variety of knives on him. He had brown hair, cold auburn eyes, and wore a brown mask on the lower half of his face.

"Who are you?" Genis demanded, his hand on his kendama.

"That's not important. I assume that this girl is the Chosen, yes?" the man asked.

"I am," Colette replied.

"Ah, good. I also take it that you two have befriended a orange-clad swordswoman and a blue cat laguz?" he asked.

"How do you…" Genis gasped.

"That's also not important. What is important is this: Do you two want to know what happened here?" he asked.

"Yes, we do. Can you tell us?" Genis asked.

"One thousand," the man replied.

"What?" Genis asked.

"Pay me one thousand Gald and I will tell you what happened here," the man offered.

Genis was about to protest when Colette handed over a large sum of money to the brown-clad man.

"Colette!" Genis protested.

"Genis, its only money. However, this man has something we need. I don't mind giving him money if its to help the people," Colette argured.

"Fine…" Genis sighed in defeat.

The man counted the gald Colette had given him, pocket a good sum of it and handed the rest back to Colette.

"Why?" Genis asked.

"I don't take more that the job entails. Simple as that," the man explained.

"So, mister. Please tell us what happened," Colette pleaded.

"Of course. You see, earlier today, this city was living life as usual, when out of the blue, something resembling a gigantic worm erupted from the ground and laid siege to the city. Why it attacked, no one knows. However, the worm did take great care to avoid the oasis at all costs," the man informed them.

"A giant worm?" Colette asked.

"Yes," he replied.

"Then that must be one of the… No, it couldn't be. It's only a myth," Genis pondered.

"A myth? Who knows? I'm only telling you what I saw and heard; no more, no less," the man explained.

"But why are you helping us?" Colette asked.

"…Let's just say that your group has caught my eye," he replied mysteriously.

"But why…" Genis started to ask.

"Colette! Genis!" a voice called out.

The two saw coming towards them, a neutral expression on his face.

"Lloyd! What's going on?" Genis asked.

"I was looking for you two. I have news," he informed them. "Why are you two here anyways?"

"Well, we were talking to this guy…" Colette attempted to explain as she gestured to where the man was standing, but he was no longer there.

"He's gone!" Genis exclaimed.

"Who's gone?" Lloyd asked.

"This man. He told us what happened to Triet. He was so mysterious," Genis answered.

"What's this?" Colette asked as her eyes scanned the ground.

Colette reached down and picked up a piece of paper. Lloyd took the paper and read it.

"_Should you need my services again, go to a bar and ask for a fireman. I will be there within an hour,_" Lloyd read out loud. "What's this suppose to mean?"

"I have no clue. But he knew about Mia and Colette and Ranulf," Genis explained.

"Is he an enemy?" Lloyd asked.

"I don't think so," Colette replied.

"But he's not our ally either," Genis added.

"We can worry about this later. But for now, I have good news," Lloyd announced.

"And that'd be?" Genis asked.

"Turns out that there were fewer deaths than the Professor predicted and all injuries can be taken care of by the Professor and Kratos," Lloyd informed them.

"That's wonderful! Martel must've given this place her blessing," Colette exclaimed.

"Well, that's good," Genis added.

"Whatever the reason, I'm just glad everyone's okay," Lloyd grinned.

"So, what should we do now?" Genis asked.

"Oh, yes. Professor Sage sent Ranulf and me to find you two. We're going to rest up at the inn and head out again once things are stable here," Lloyd answered.

"Okay then," Colette said.

As the three of them were making their way back towards the inn, another earthquake shook the city.

People started running around in chaos, screaming "ITS BACK! ITS BACK!"

"It couldn't be…" Genis gasped.

Just then, a tidal wave of sand and dirt flew towards the three kids.

"What the hell!?" Lloyd shouted.

He quickly looked around and saw a flipped cart. He grabbed Genis and Colette and got them and himself into the cart just as the wave of sand hit them, burying them. When the wave ended, Lloyd, Genis, and Colette quickly dug themselves out of the sand.

"What was that?" Colette asked as she pulled herself out.

Lloyd gasped and pointed.

"I dunno, but I think that's the problem!" he shouted.

Something BIG traveling underground was speeding towards them, ready to knock them over. Lloyd rolled out of the way while Colette grabbed Genis and took to the air.

"Genis! Take care of it!" Lloyd shouted.

"On it!" he replied as he charged up for a spell.

The mysterious foe turned around and charged at Lloyd again. Lloyd managed to dodge again, but he wasn't sure how long he could keep this up.

"Any time now!" Lloyd yelled.

"There! I got it! Pancake time! Stalagmite!" Genis chanted.

The mysterious thing shot out of the ground and into the air. Lloyd, Genis, and Colette could only gasp at what they saw. A grey-toned, worm-like monster as tall as a boat and as wide as a small river had come out of the ground and was now plummeting towards Lloyd!

"Lloyd! Look out!" Genis and Colette shouted.

Just as the worm was about to make a Lloyd pancake, a flash of blue ran by and grabbed Lloyd, saving him from his fate.

"Ranulf! Thank Martel you were here! I owe you one," Lloyd sighed in relief.

"I'll hold you to that. Now, someone tell me, what in Tellius is that!?" Ranulf demanded.

"It's one of the Molgera," Genis answered as he and Colette landed.

"Molgera? What's that?" Ranulf asked.

"Molgera were what scholars called a group of different species of gigantic worm-like creatures that were engineered and used in the Kharlan War as weapons. However, they said that Mithos the Hero killed them all," Genis explained. "But how one of them is here now, I don't know."

"I'm guessing that Mithos missed one," Ranulf smirked.

"Guys! Its moving!" Lloyd shouted.

They turned to see the worm beginning to squirm and thrash, damaging the city in the process.

"We have to stop it before Triet is destroyed!" Colette demanded.

"You're right! I won't let this city become the next Iselia!" Lloyd vowed.

"Shouldn't we get Mia, Raine, and Kratos?" Genis asked.

"There's no time!" Ranulf shouted as the Molgera turned to face them.

Lloyd drew his swords, Colette drew her chakrams, Genis aimed his kendama, and Ranulf gathered mana in his hands.

The worm reared back and charged at the four warriors. They jumped out of the way and Colette and Genis began to chant. Lloyd and Ranulf charged the worm and attacked.

"Demon Fang!"

"Demon Fist!"

They sent two shockwaves at the Molgera, which bounced right off.

"It didn't work!?" Lloyd exclaimed.

"That's not good," Ranulf muttered.

Colette and Genis then took a stab at attacking the foe.

"Holy wings, I beg of thee to reveal thy glory. Angel Feathers!"

"Fry! Fire Ball!"

A barrage of angelic feathers and fireballs struck at the Molgera's body. Unlike the shockwaves, the spells did some damage, but it was minor at best. Lloyd then sliced at the worm while Ranulf threw a mana-charged punch. The worm shrugged off those physical attacks and swung its tail into Lloyd and Ranulf, causing them to crash into a tree. They slumped over, out for the moment.

"No!" Genis shouted. "What do we do now?"

"Genis, go get the others. I'll protect Lloyd and Ranulf," said Colette.

"What!? I can't leave you to face that thing by yourself!" Genis shouted as he sent a Wind Blade at the worm.

"Genis, between you and me, I have a better chance of lasting against it. Now please, go get help!" she ordered as a Pow Hammer smacked the Molgera.

"…Fine. But don't you dare die on me!" Genis shouted as he shot the monster with Lightning.

Genis then took off to find the rest of the group, leaving Colette to face the Molgera alone.

"Mr. Molgera, you hurt my friends and attacked this city. For that, I can never forgive you. May Martel have mercy on you," she glared at the beast.

Colette threw a chakram at the worm, scratching it. It got the Molgera's attention and she took to the sky, trying to lead it away from Lloyd and Ranulf and out of the city. The worm gave chase as it lunged at the angel. Colette dodged and flung another barrage of Angel Feathers at it. They struck at the beast and one even entered its mouth, doing some decent damage.

Angry, the worm shot a gust of wind at Colette, which sent her flying right into Triet's oasis. The worm just stood there for a moment, enjoying its victory. Then, something shot out of the water high into the air. Colette was high in the air, the most pissed she had ever been.

"I'm mad now! And you won't like me mad!" she shouted.

She soared higher into the air, glared at the beast, then starting plummeting towards the Molgera at high speeds. As she did, she held her arms out, a chakram in each hand.

"Heavenly Ring Whirlwind!" she shouted.

Colette began rotating quickly; she was rotating so fast that she looked like a pinkish-white tornado. The tornado slammed into the giant worm, turning its body into ribbons, causing blood to spatter everywhere. Behind the beast, Colette stopped spinning and sent a third round of Angel Feathers at it. This time, the feathers struck at all the wounds, injuring it further. She then tightly gripped a chakram and charged it up with her angelic power, turning the chakram pink.

"Holy Ray Thrust!" she yelled out.

The light-charged chakram flew at the Molgera and struck hard, severly lacerating it. As Colette caught the chakram, the worm fell down in defeat. She softly landed and took some deep breaths, for those last few attack took a lot out of her.

"I did it!" Colette chirped. "I wish Lloyd could've seen me! He'd be so proud!"

Colette approached the worm to make sure it was dead and began randomly poking it. Big mistake. The Molgera suddenly reared back to life and wrapped its bloody body around Colette, slowly crushing her.

"Can't… move… or breathe…" she gasped as she struggled to get free.

As the worm slowly choked the life out of the Chosen, a flurry of fireballs hit the worm's head, distracting it. At the same time, a red, blue, and orange flash rammed into the worm's body.

Three shouts of "Beast!" could be heard as the worm was toppled over, releasing Colette.

Colette began to fall, but her red-clad hero caught her in his gentle arms.

"Lloyd!" she gasped when she came to her senses.

"You okay, Colette?" he asked.

"I'm fine," she replied.

"I saw what you did. I'm both impressed and proud of you, Colette. Now, stand back and leave the rest to us," Lloyd said.

"Thank you, Lloyd," Colette blushed.

"Colette, get over here so I can heal you!" Raine shouted from a distance.

"Yes, Professor!" she replied.

Colette pecked Lloyd on the cheek, which make them both blush, and ran off to Raine to get healed. Lloyd then ran back to the battle, where Ranulf, Kratos, Mia, and Genis were currently battling the worm.

"Lloyd! Is Colette okay?" Genis shouted the worm narrowly dodged Genis' Stalagmite.

"She's fine! The Professor's got her now," Lloyd replied.

"Now, the question is: How in heaven's name are we going to beat this thing?" Ranulf asked as he threw a blast of mana at the worm.

"That is a good question. If it can take all the abuse the Chosen threw at it and still have this much power left, then we have a problem," Kratos added as he dodged the worm's tail.

"Yeah! Pretty much everything but the kitchen sink's been thrown at him!" Mia shouted as she struck the worm's head with her sword.

"The kitchen sink?" Genis whispered.

For some odd reason, Mia's choice of words brought back something interesting the mysterious man told him and Colette.

"_**Why it attacked, no one knows. However, the worm did take great care to avoid the oasis at all costs,**_" the man's words echoed in Genis' mind.

Genis suddenly gasped as he realized something.

"You don' think… Well, it's worth a shot. Now, what was that spell again?" he muttered to himself.

"Genis! Stay focused!" Kratos shouted.

Just then, the spell came to him. He swung his kendama as he called the spell he just remembered.

"Drown! Spread!" he chanted.

A geyser of water shot out of the ground, sending the worm airborne. It crashed into the ground, writhing in pain as some smoke came from its body.

Genis shouted out, "Everyone! Its weak against water!"

"Well, that's great and all, but only you have water attacks or spells, Genis!" Mia shouted as she sent an Azure Edge at the Molgera.

Genis frowned. Only he had water spells and he severely doubted that Aqua Edge and Spread would be enough to destroy it before it destroyed the city. He quickly looked around and spotted Triet's oasis not far from the battle site. He got an idea and grinned.

"Everyone! Force the worm into the oasis! That will destroy it!" Genis ordered.

"Got it!" Lloyd shouted.

Everyone rearranged their positions so that the worm was between them and the oasis. As they flung attack after attack at it, they slowly forced the worm towards the spring. The worm noticed this and seemed to be getting desperate. It inhaled a large amount of air, shooting out a stream of flames at the group to fry them.

"No!" they gasped as they braced themselves.

Just then, Colette flew between the flames and her friend and braced herself.

"Damage Guard!" she chanted as a green force field protected her and her friends from the searing flames.

As the flames vanished, Colette landed next to Lloyd.

"That was awesome, Colette!" Lloyd complimented.

"Thanks, Lloyd," she grinned.

"Let's finish this!" Lloyd shouted.

Everyone nodded in agreement as the worm made its final stand.

Lloyd, Mia, and Kratos charged the Molgera first. Their swords aimed true, they lunged at the beast.

"Triple Sonic Thrust!" they shouted as they sliced through the worm's wounds, wounding it even more.

Genis then stepped up as he charged up for a spell.

"Drown! Spread!" he chanted.

Another burst of water erupted, sending the worm right into the air, where Colette was hovering in the air, holding Ranulf by his ankles.

"Now!" Ranulf shouted.

Colette began rapidly spinning around, going faster and faster with each revolution. When the timing was right, she released Ranulf, sending him right at the worm. As he was shot at the Molgera, Ranulf shifted into his cat form and used all his might to slam into the worm's body. The force of the slam sent the worm straight into the oasis as Mia, Kratos, and Lloyd caught Ranulf before he hit the ground.

As Raine approached the group and began healing their wounds, they stood there and watched as the Molgera flailed about in the spring, slowly melting away. Before it disappeared, it exploded in a flash of light that engulfed everyone.

As the light faded and everyone regained their sight, they gasped. All the physical damage the worm had inflicted on Triet was miraculously undone, like the monster was never there in the first place.

"I guess it really was a Molgera, then," Genis whispered.

"What do you mean, Genis?" Ranulf asked.

"From what I read, when a Molgera is destroyed, all damage in the immediately area would be immediately repaired by magic contained within the monster's body. It was a precaution done by the mages of the past to prevent total destruction," Raine informed them.

"Amazing," Mia gasped.

Colette, in the meantime, was looking in the air and gasped.

"Lloyd! Look out!" she warned.

She quickly tackled Lloyd to the ground. Not a moment later, a creepy, mysterious, violet double-edged sword pierced the spot where Lloyd was just standing.

"Whoa!" several of them shouted while Kratos had visibly paled.

"Wow, Colette. If you hadn't of seen that, we'd have a Lloyd kabob now," Mia sighed in relief.

"Aw, isn't that cute?" Genis teased.

Everyone turned to see Colette and Lloyd in a compromising position. Colette was laying on top of Lloyd, their faces merely inches apart and red as Lloyd's outfit.

"Lloyd and Colette, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" Genis, Mia, and Ranulf sang.

Lloyd immediately jumped up and started yelling at them while Colette just sat there blushing. Meanwhile, Raine and Kratos were taking a closer look at the sword that nearly killed Lloyd.

"SIMPLY MARVELOUS!" Raine yelled as she went into Ruin Mode.

She reached out to grab the sword, but Kratos immediately stopped her.

"Raine, get a hold of yourself!" Kratos barked.

"Why should I?" she argued as she tried to break free from Kratos' grip.

"Take a closer look at that sword and you'll know why," he replied.

Raine calmed down long enough to look closely at the sword and saw an engraving on it; after a moment, she visibly paled and gasped.

"Kratos, are you saying that this sword is…" she whispered.

"I've spent years training and learning all about swords, including the myths about them. I can say beyond a doubt that the sword is most likely one of THEM," Kratos answered.

"What should we do about it? We can't just leave it here," Raine argued.

"If the legends are true, then the Chosen can take care of this," Kratos suggested.

"Then let's give it a try," Raine agreed.

The two saw that Lloyd and Colette were busy chasing Mia, Ranulf, and Genis around the area. Kratos, not wanting to get in the middle of it, used Lightning to get their attention.

"What was that for!?" Lloyd, Genis, Mia, and Ranulf shouted.

"Not that any of you care, but we have a problem here," Kratos growled.

The four of the immediately noticed how pissed Kratos was and immediately shut up.

"What's the problem, Mr. Kratos?" Colette asked.

"You see this sword that nearly killed Lloyd?" Raine gestured to the sword stuck in the ground.

Everyone nodded.

"We believe this sword, with the engraving of 'Soul Eater' on it, to be one of the mysterious Devil's Arms," Raine informed them.

Lloyd raised his hand.

"Yes, Lloyd?" Raine asked.

"What's a Devil's Arm?" he voiced everyone's questions.

"Legend speaks that ages ago, a powerful demon escaped the confines of Niflheim, the demonic realm, and tried to take over this world. A hero of the people stepped forth and managed to slay the demon; however, in the process, all of his weapons were corrupted by the demon's blood, making them very dangerous," Kratos explained.

"Why is that?" Mia asked.

"Because of the demon's blood, if someone were to remain in contact with one of the Devil's Arms for an extended period of time, the darkness within their heart would overtake them, said person would become corrupted with demonic power, and finally, that person would die and become the demon reborn," Raine answered.

"So, in order to prevent such an occurrence, the hero scattered all his weapons throughout the world to never be seen by human eyes again. How that worm got its hands on one of them, I have no idea," Kratos added.

"How many of them are there?" Genis asked.

"According to the myths, there are nine know Devil's Arms; however, more could exist," Raine answered.

"So, what do we need to do about this 'Soul Eater'?" Ranulf asked. "Obviously, we can't leave it here."

"We need to purify the sword," Raine answered.

"And how do we do that?" Mia asked.

"We use the power of the Chosen one," Kratos replied.

"Colette? Why Colette?" Lloyd asked.

Genis snapped his fingers as he realized something.

"Lloyd, its because Colette possess the power of an angel. Angels and demons are opposite of each other. The holy power of an angel will eradicate the presence of any demon," Genis explained.

"Huh?" Lloyd mumbled, completely lost.

"In other words, all Colette needs to do is give the sword Martel's blessing and it should be safe for anyone to use," Genis clarified.

"Oh!" Lloyd realized.

"So, Colette, would you do the honors?" Raine asked.

"Of course, Professor," Colette answered.

Colette approached the sword, unveiled her wings, and knelt down to pray.

"Oh Goddess Martel, grant me thy power and banish the evil within!" she prayed.

The sword rose into the air and was enveloped in a yellow light. As the light faded, the sword slowly descended and Mia tried to make a grab for it, but Kratos snatched it away from her.

"I think I should hold onto this for now. Even though the demonic presence may be gone, it still contains a lot of power and would be dangerous in the wrong hands," Kratos suggested.

"Aw… I'd love to try that sword out," Mia sighed. "A weapon with the power of a demon… It'd be a true test of my swordsmanship!"

"Fine, but I want a chance to study it!" Raine begged, stars in her eyes.

"When we have time, you both shall," Kratos replied.

Mia grinned at the chance at trying out the Soul Eater. Raine squealed in happiness about this new discovery. After that, she turned to the others.

"Now then! For today's lesson, I will tell you about the history of the Molgera, which that worm we fought was one of," Raine introduced with stars in her eyes.

"Oh, no!" Lloyd and Genis moaned, knowing what was to come.

Colette seemed chipper about it while Mia and Ranulf seemed to be interested. Kratos, on the other hand, tried to slowly walk away from the ruin maniac. However, before he could get far, someone had grabbed him by his swallow-tail cape.

"Not so fast. You're going to hear this lesson as well," Raine glared.

Kratos frowned and grumbled something about being treated like a child as he was forcibly sat down next to Lloyd and endure one of Raine's infamous lectures.

* * *

**XD Not even the mighty Kratos Aurion can escape the infamous Raine lectures! Man, Colette kicked butt in this chapter! Anyways, now I brought the Devil's Arms in. How will that affect the story? And who was that mysterious man Genis and Colette met and why is he interested in the Regeneration Group? Some of you may know him from the other half of the crossover... :D So, please review! Reviews are always welcome here.**


	8. Chapter 7: Assassins

**Well, here's the newest chapter of ToS: RD. I did this over the holidays (mostly on the car ride to where we stayed and back). Also, a couple of things. First off, I've got an edited version of my prologue up. Nothing concerning plot has changed, only how the characters interact with each other. Also, I'd advise reading the chapter at least twice; things will be hectic and a lot of information is thrown out. Now, sit back, relax, grab a drink, get your favorite battle music on standby, and enjoy this chapter.**

* * *

**Chapter 7:** _**Assassins**_

Lloyd and company spent the next three days in Triet to make sure that the injured were healed and that no more Molgera attacked the city. At the same time, Lloyd was receiving additional instruction from Kratos and Mia. While he found the training exhausting, he also enjoyed it. Being with them and everyone else made Lloyd happy. Genis was like his kid brother, always fun to hang with. Raine was like the nagging mother who deeply cared for her children. He saw Mia as his elder sister, someone who teased him a lot, yet one he could go to for a variety of things. Raunlf was like the fun uncle of the group to Lloyd, yet was wise in many a topic. Kratos was like Lloyd's older brother: Gruff and kind of mean, but seemed to have Lloyd's best interests at heart. Sometimes, when Lloyd really wasn't really paying attention, he could've sworn that Kratos' eyes had a fatherly-like pride to them.

Colette… Colette was a whole other matter to Lloyd. Twice since this journey began, he dreamt of kissing her. Not to mention that she had kissed him on the cheek and the compromising position they found themselves after the Molgera fight. He knew that he always worried about her and he wanted the best for her. But what was that feeling? As he lay in his bed trying to figure it out, someone knocked at the door. Mia came in to get Lloyd for their daily training session before they left Triet. Lloyd put his thoughts about Colette to the side and hoped some training would clear his head.

* * *

A week after leaving Triet, the group managed to finally cross the desert and made to the Ossa Trail. According to Raine, crossing this mountainous path would take them to the outskirts of Izlood, where they could get a boat to Palmacosta and continue the search for the seals.

As the group slowly began their climb on the Ossa Trail, a voice shouted, "Stop!" All seven of them were instantly on their guard and immediately began searching for the source of the voice.

"Up there!" Mia shouted, pointing to a nearby cliff.

The others looked in the direction Mia pointed in and were met with an intriguing sight. On top of a small cliff stood a woman. She had ebony hair and auburn eyes. She wore some kind of light purple robe that went halfway to her knees with a white corset underneath. The robe was held up with a large pink ribbon tied in the back. She also wore black skintight pants and boots that matched her robe. On her arms, she wore fingerless gloves that matched her robe and went up past her elbows. Under the gloves seemed to be black sleeves that came from her robe. In her hands she held what seemed to be pieces of paper with cryptic writing on them.

"Is the Chosen of Mana among you?" the mysterious woman demanded.

"Oh, that's me!" Colette chirped, waving her hand in the air.

The woman jumped off the cliff and landed near Colette, a cold glare in her eye that Mia, Ranulf, and Kratos instantly recognized.

"Look out!" they shouted.

"Prepare to die!" the woman sneered as she rushed towards Colette.

The others tried to make a run to stop her, but they weren't going to make it. Caught off guard by the sudden threat to her life, Colette stumbled and fell to the ground, her arm hitting a lever hidden in the grass. A loud creaking sound echoed in the mountains, causing everyone, even the assassin to stop. Suddenly, the ground swallowed the assassin whole, disappearing before their eyes.

"Uh-oh," Lloyd, Genis, Raine, and Colette echoed.

"Assassin go down da hole," Ranulf sang, causing Lloyd, Genis, Mia, and even Raine to laugh.

Kratos just sweatdropped and remained silent.

Colette rushed over to where the assassin had disappeared, the others behind her. Right where the woman was standing, there was a hole in the shape of a perfect square. A pair of metal hinge doors was attached to the walls of the hole. They looked into the hole and couldn't see the bottom.

"Who'd of thought there would be a trap hole here of all places?" Lloyd asked.

Raine observed the hole and spotted the lever hidden in the grass.

"Its not a trap door. It's a maintenance shaft for a mine. There's probably miles of tunnels under us used for mining," Raine explained.

"Professor, is she going to be all right?" Colette asked.

"Even assuming here weight to be 45 kg and the drop to be 10 m, and with the gravity constant at 9.8, the fall shouldn't have been fatal," Genis calculated.

"Gravity… constant?" Lloyd repeated, completely lost.

"In other words, she's fine and we'll most likely be seeing her again," Raine clarified.

"Oh," Lloyd gasped as he looked down the hole. "Still, you can't help but feel kind of sorry for her. I mean, you gotta have some BAD luck to fall down the only hole around here."

"Yeah," Mia agreed. "I've seen a lot of stuff in my life, but I don't think I've seen something like this."

"I've seen many lucky saves in the two wars I fought in before, but this has to got to be the funniest one I've experienced," Ranulf chuckled.

Kratos then approached the group, his eyes scanning the area.

"We should get going," he advised. "The area is confined and the footing is poor. It would be to our disadvantage if we were ambushed again."

"But what about the girl?" Lloyd asked, pointing to the hole.

"We'll probably see here again if she's intent on killing the Chosen," Kratos replied.

"But why would someone wanna kill Colette?" Genis asked.

"There are always those who reject salvation," Kratos answered.

"It's possible she's a Desian," Raine added, stroking her chin.

"Possibly. Either way, she's dangerous," Mia added. "I can tell from her eyes."

"Her eyes?" Colette asked.

"She had the eyes of an assassin. She was attacking with the intent to kill," Kratos informed them.

"Oh… But her eyes weren't that scary, and there was kindness in them," she whispered.

"I've only seen a few people who've had those kinds of eyes. One of them is Mr. Grouch over there," Ranulf jerked a thumb at Kratos. "Another is a man named Volke."

"Volke?" Lloyd asked, tilting his head to the side.

"The most lethal assassin in all of Tellius, capable of killing in the blink of an eye," Mia described. "He'll do just about anything you want of him, so long as you have the money to pay him. He has worked for Commander Greil, Boss, and Count Bastian. To be honest, I think only Ike himself is capable of fending off Volke in a one-on-one fight."

"Wow. This 'Volke' sounds badass," Lloyd gasped.

"He is. Let's just be glad he's not here and working for the Desians or something like that," said Ranulf.

* * *

Towards the end of the day, the group was completing the final leg of the Ossa Trail. They were passing what appeared to be a boarded-up entrance to a tunnel when the boards flew out, revealing the assassin woman.

"So, Genis was right," said Mia, her hand on Alondite.

"You! You'll pay for sending me into those tunnels!" the woman yelled, shaking a fist in the air.

"Oh! I'm so glad you're okay! Let's be friends! My name's Colette!" she greeted as she approached the assassin.

"Stay back!" the woman nervously shouted, jumping back a couple of feet.

"I told you…" a voice chuckled.

Mia and Ranulf instantly turned ghost white.

"No…" Mia gasped.

"Don't tell me…" Ranulf whispered.

The seven of them turned around to see a man clad in brown and armed with many knives leaning against the cliff wall.

"Hey! It that's man from Triet! Hiya mister!" Colette realized.

"That's right! It is him!" Genis agreed.

"Uh, guys. That's the man we told you about earlier. That's Volke," Ranulf informed them.

"Damn, that's not the kind of news I like." Genis pouted.

The seven of them drew their weapons, ready for battle.

"Sheena, I told you it was better to ambush them at the end of the trail, when they'd be worn out by all the monsters," the man sneered. "But you just had to ignore me. You wind up falling down a hole and end up fighting your way out. Now you're no longer at full strength, which levels the playing field."

"Shut up, Volke!" the woman, now identified as Sheena, shouted.

"Volke, why are you here!?" Mia shouted, Alondite pointed at him. "No, a better question is: Who hired you to kill the Chosen of Regenration?"

Lloyd, Genis, and Colette gasped.

"Well, I'm glad that you remember my MO, Mia," Volke answered. "However, if you really wanna know, its gonna cost you five thousand."

"Dammit, Volke!" Mia stomped.

"Volke, Ike would have your head if he was here!" Ranulf shouted.

"Well, Ike's not here, Ranulf. Besides, if he was, I'd consider switching sides; for a price, of course," Volke replied, a glint in his eye.

"Volke! Shut up and let's take them out!" Sheena ordered.

"As you wish," Volke sighed as he drew a knife. "Mia, fight me with everything you got. I won't expect anything less from Ike's student."

"Oh, you got it!" Mia shouted as she charged Volke.

Lloyd and Ranulf were going to rush to her aid, but were cut off by a mysterious green monster that Sheena had just summoned.

"Did you forget about me?" she joked.

"Dammit! Looks like we'll have to take care of this first!" Lloyd shouted.

* * *

Ranulf and the Sage siblings found themselves fighting Sheena's summoned monster. Ranulf seemed to be rather pissed off.

"I'm in a bad mood and I think I just found my scratching post," Ranulf sneered, his hands glowing with mana.

"Be careful. We don't know what this monster can do," Raine warned.

Genis started things off firing off a blast of Lightning. The monster dodged, just as Ranulf predicted as he ran up to the monster and gave it an uppercut. It stumbled, but it swung its arm at Ranulf, aiming to take him out. Ranulf managed to grab the arm and threw it to the ground.

As the monster lay on the ground, Raine was preparing a new spell she had just learned.

"Light! Photon!" she called out.

The monster was trapped in a sphere of light, which exploded. When the smoke cleared, the monster was gone.

"Well, that takes care of that," Ranulf clapped his hands.

Just then, the monster shot out from the ground and grabbed Genis by the throat and rose high into the air.

"Genis!" Raine shouted.

Ranulf looked on in worry as an idea came to mind.

"Raine! When I say so, cast Photon on me!" he ordered.

"What? But…" Raine stuttered.

"Just do it!" he shouted.

Raine began charging up for another spell as Ranulf ran up a cliff wall and propelled himself towards the monster strangling Genis.

"Now, Raine!" Ranulf signaled.

Raine unleahed her Photon on Ranulf, wary as to what may happen. As the sphere of light exploded, Ranulf, in his cat form, shot out from the explosion towards the monster at high speeds. Before the monster knew what hit him, Ranulf had severed its arms off, causing Genis to fall. Raine rushed over and caught Genis before he hit the ground.

Meanwhile, Ranulf continued to fly towards the other cliff wall. He flipped himself around and latched himself to the wall with his claws. He then pushed off the wall, flinging himself back towards the injured monster. As he flew, he shifted back to his normal form, a charge of red mana in his hand.

"Take this! Raging Blast!" he called out.

Ranulf threw his arm forward, unleashing a blast of red mana that incinerated the monster to ashes. Genis and Raine ran over to Ranulf as he gracefully landed on his feet. Raine instantly healed him as Ranulf's gaze shot over to Mia and Volke.

"Genis, go help Lloyd," Ranulf pointed to Lloyd's battle.

"Raine, you're with me," he gestured to Mia and Volke.

The two magic users nodded and they, along with Ranulf, ran off to aid their friends.

* * *

Mia was fighting Volke alone. Sword and knife clashed as the two of them fought. Neither of them seemed to be gaining or losing any ground. This went on for several minutes.

"I'm impressed Mia. I'd say, right now, you're about as strong as Ike was a year and a half ago," Volke observed.

"I'll take that as a compliment," Mia replied.

Mia swung her sword out, but Volke jumped in the air and landed on the flat of her blade.

"However, its going to take more than that to beat me," he said as he kicked Mia in the face.

Mia fell to the ground and Volke used the opportunity to pin her. He gripped his knife and prepared to stab her through the heart. However, he took a look at Mia and found himself hesitant.

"I… can't do it," he sighed.

"What?" Mia gasped, surprised that Volke wouldn't kill her.

"I… can't do it," he repeated as he got off of her.

"Mia!" Ranulf shouted as he and Raine rushed to her side.

"Ranulf and the elven schoolteacher, Raine Sage. This may make things interesting," Volke thought out loud.

Ranulf glared at Volke as Raine healed Mia. Mia gripped her sword as an idea came to her head. She reached into her coat and pulled something out and tossed it to Volke, who caught it. He saw that Mia had tossed him a white sphere the size of a small ball.

"A White Gem? What is this for?" he asked.

"Consider that payment for sparing my life," Mia replied. "Also, I assume there's enough left over to get information out of you, right?"

"Of course," Volke answered.

"Mia, are you insane!?" Raine shouted. "This man is trying to kill us."

"Raine, trust Mia. She knows what she's doing. Besides, I know how Volke works. So long as you supply him with payment, he'll do whatever you want him to do, including not killing us," Ranulf assured her, yet seemed reluctant to believe his own words.

"…Fine," Raine surrendered the argument.

"Good, Volke. But let's keep fighting. I don't want your partner to get suspicious," Mia pointed over to Sheena, who was fighting some of Mia's friends at the moment.

"Very well," Volke drew his knife.

Mia pointed her sword, Ranulf took a fighting position, and Raine gripped her staff. Mia and Ranulf then rushed Volke.

"So, Volke, let me start with a basic question: Why are you here?" Ranulf threw a punch at Volke.

"Right after you guys left Tellius, I was hired to shadow you, Ike, and the others. My job was to make sure that Ike was to return to Tellius alive, even if it was against his will," Volke slashed at Raine.

"But who hired you?" Mia stabbed at Vollke.

"The Queen of Crimea," he nonchalantly replied.

"WHAT!?" Mia shouted, red with anger.

"What's with Mia?" Raine asked as she used First Aid.

"Mia in under the belief that Elincia, Queen of Crimea, is in love with Ike and wants to steal Ike for herself," Ranulf dodged a thrown knife.

"I see…" Raine uttered as she swung her staff at Volke.

"Damn that Elincia! Can't she see that General Geoffrey loves her!?" Mia repeatedly stomped the ground. "She may be a good queen, but she is blind when it comes to love!"

"Love is one of the few things my skills are unable to deal with," Volke replied as he sidestepped an Azure Edge.

"Okay, next question. Who hired you to kill the Chosen?" Raine asked as she was forced to use Force Field.

"The Desians who captured Ranulf and your friend Lloyd in Triet," was Volke's answer.

"What? You mean that the Naesala clone sent you and the girl after us?" Ranulf asked as he kicked Volke in the gut.

"Well, yes," Volke answered as he clutched his gut.

"Why do those Desians want to kill Colette, give Ranulf an Exshpere, and capture Lloyd?" Mia asked.

"Ah, but here's the clincher. Those Desians you encountered in Triet… They're not Desians," Volke revealed.

"WHAT!?" Mia, Ranulf, and Raine shouted in disbelief.

* * *

Lloyd, Colette, and Kratos found themselves fighting against the mysterious assassin named Sheena.

"Be careful, you two. This woman is capable of anything," Kratos warned.

Just as he finished that, Sheena threw a piece of paper at Lloyd, which stuck to his chest. He looked at it curiously before it exploded, sending him flying back a few feet.

"Lloyd!" Colette called out.

"Chosen, on your guard!" Kratos warned.

Sheena ran towards Colette, slashing at her with a seal. Colette dodged and threw a chakram at her, which she dodged. Kratos then stabbed at the assassin with a Sonic Thrust. His sword only managed to slice off a portion of her ribbon. Sheena then launched a kick at Kratos' head, which he blocked with his shield. Lloyd then sent a Demon Fang at her, which connected and stunned the target. He then ran up to her and slammed his sword against the ground, sending a shockwave at Sheena that knocked her down. As she attempted to get up, Colette body slammed her back to the ground with a well-time Item Thief. Kratos then used the opportunity to unleash a spell.

"O darkened storm cloud, loosen thy blade and run my enemy through! Thunder Blade!" he chanted.

The skies went dark as a sword of lightning stabbed Sheena in the chest and electrocuted her, causing her to collapse. Kratos smirked as he approached Lloyd and Colette.

"She wasn't much of a threat," Kratos smirked.

"But why did she attack us?" Lloyd asked.

Before Kratos could reply, the three of them heard laughing. Sheena was back on her feet, her outfit partially burned and a look of exhaustion on her face.

"You think that'll stop me? You fools! A ninja never gives up!" she yelled out as she began moving her hands in intricate patterns.

Suddenly, columns of light erupted from the ground where Sheena hid some seals, forming a ring, and surrounded Lloyd, Colette, and Kratos.

"I… I can't move!" Colette shouted.

"Not good," Kratos whispered as he tried to move.

"Dammit!" Lloyd shouted.

"Ready? I'll show you my powers!" Sheena shouted as wind whipped around the three heroes.

"Take this! Igaguri secret ninja art: Quasi Seal!" she chanted.

The center of the ring where they had been trapped exploded, catching all three of them in the process. When the smoke cleared, it revealed Lloyd, Kratos, and Colette lying on the ground, all of them out cold. Sheena walked over to Colette and grabbed her by the throat. She pulled back a seal-clutched fist, ready to deal the deathblow, when she was suddenly frozen in a block of ice.

Genis appeared out of nowhere and quickly force-fed three Life Bottles to the KOed heroes, reviving them.

"What's for breakfast?" a dazed Lloyd asked.

"Lloyd! Now's not the time!" Genis shouted.

Lloyd immediately remembered where he was and jumped to his feet. He and Genis went up to Kratos and Colette, who were looking as bad as Lloyd did.

"Everyone okay?" Lloyd asked.

"I've been better," Kratos replied.

"I'll be fine," Colette added.

"That's good," Genis sighed in relief.

Suddenly, they heard some cracking. The four turned to see that Sheena was slowly freeing herself from her icy prison.

"Does she ever give up!?" Lloyd shouted.

"We have to finish this now. We're exhausted and Raine preoccupied with the other assassin," Kratos warned.

"Then let's do this!" Genis ordered.

Lloyd rushed the icy prison and slammed into it, freeing Sheena and sending her tumbling. Genis then used Stalagmite, which sent her into the air. While flying in the air, Colette sent a barrage of Angel Feathers at her. Kratos then jumped and used Sonic Thrust. Lloyd also jumped and used Sonic Thrust. As they flipped and pressed their bodies against the cliff walls, they braced themselves for one more move.

"Follow it up!" Kratos shouted.

At the same time, the two pushed off the cliff walls and dove at Sheena at high speeds. They each held a sword forward and began twirling in midair.

"Cross Thrust!" they called out.

Their attack connected with their target, sending Sheena crashing to the ground. Lloyd and Kratos landed on their feet and glared at the crater where Sheena now resided.

"That was AWESOME!" Genis shouted.

"Damn, that was tough!" Lloyd sighed.

Suddenly, they heard ground moving. The three boys looked in the crater to see a badly beaten Sheena digging her way out.

"What the hell!?" Lloyd shouted, gripping his swords tight.

"Even after all that, she's still going!?" Genis was in complete shock.

"She's resilient; I'll give her that," Kratos complimented.

The moment Sheena got out of the hole, she glared at the three of them. A moment later, her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she fell to the ground, out cold. Right behind her, Colette stood there with Pow Hammer in hand.

"You mean, after all that, we beat her with a measly Pow Hammer?" Genis cocked his head in confusion.

Kratos, in a rare show of emotion, doubled over in laughter.

"I've seen many battles, but not one end quite like this," he choked out.

Lloyd ran over to Colette and hugged her tight.

"That was awesome, Colette! You're wonderful!" he cheered as he swung Colette around, making her blush.

* * *

"What do you mean by 'They're not Desians?'" Mia demanded, disregarding the mock battle.

"From what I know, they're called Renegades. Their motives is unknown, but they seem to want the Chosen dead," Volke informed them.

"What else do you know about these 'Renegades'?" Raine asked.

"Not much. However, there is four other things I've learned so far about them," Volke added.

"And they are?" Ranulf asked.

"One: Their leader's name is Yuan," Volke revealed.

"That may be of use to us," Raine noted as she wrote down Volke's words.

"Two: They seem to possess knowledge of beorc, laguz, and branded, and of Tellius, even though the average person here would never know of them," he continued.

"Well, it would explain how they knew to call me by that horrible name and a few of the things that guy said, but HOW do they have that knowledge?" Ranulf frowned.

"The third thing is that they have this female completely garbed in red armor called 'Red Valkyrie'. She wields a lance in battle and no one, except for maybe Yuan, has seen her face. She's quite strong. About as strong as you, Mia," he described.

"Just what we need; another enemy to deal with," Raine sighed.

"Strong as me!? Please," Mia scoffed.

"And we now have a female Black Knight? Just wonderful," Ranulf smacked himself in the forehead.

"And the last thing is that Yuan seems to be obsessed with your mercenary friend," Volke pointed to Kratos as he was using Sonic Thrust.

Ranulf was as pale as a ghost and Mia and Raine were turning bright red and seemed dizzy.

"In the 'He's going to ruin my plans' kind of way, not the 'I love you' kind of way," Volke clarified with air quotes.

"Don't scare me like that, Volke!" Ranulf shook a fist at him.

"Hey, I wasn't the one having the perverted thoughts," Volke mocked.

"Well, this only adds to the mystery that is Kratos," Raine frowned.

"And this only makes him more suspicious," Mia sighed as her head hung low.

Volke took a glance at Sheena's battle and saw Colette knocking her out with Pow Hammer.

"Look's like my partner was beaten. I guess I'll take that as my cue to retreat for now," Volke noted as he looked right at Mia.

"Mia, Ranulf, Raine. Find Ike. There is something big going on here regarding these Renegades. Bigger than any of us and probably as big as the stuff we've encountered before, and I think only Ike, you, and your friends old and new can stop it," Volke warned. "Once you find Ike, I'll help out however I can… so long as I am paid."

"Well, well. Seems like even the hardened Fireman has some kind of a heart," Ranulf smirked as he crossed his arms.

"I don't trust you. However, if what you say is true, then we have a problem," Raine stared the assassin down.

"I shall. However, I won't find him for you. I'll find him for me and his friends," Mia vowed as she held her sword high.

"Fair enough," said Volke as he prepared to leave.

"Wait!" Mia shouted. "Why didn't you kill me when you had the chance?"

Volke looked back at Mia. For the first time that Mia could remember, she could see some emotion in his eyes: the emotion of sadness.

"…You remind me of my sister," was his reply as he vanished in a puff of smoke.

"VOLKE HAS A SISTER!?" Mia and Ranulf were completely flabbergasted by that.

* * *

Meanwhile, Kratos grabbed the unconscious Sheena and prepared to finish her off.

"Mr. Kratos, do we have to kill her?" Colette pleaded.

"We must, or she will kill you," Kratos coldly replied.

As Kratos prepared to run Sheena through, Volke suddenly appeared and kicked Kratos, knocking him away from Sheena. Volke then threw the defeated Sheena over his shoulder and found that Kratos was blocking his path. He drew a knife and threw it at Kratos, who easily dodged it.

"Missed," Kratos smirked.

"Oh, did I?" Volke smirked back as he pointed behind Kratos.

"Lloyd!" a voice shouted.

Kratos turned and his eyes widened. Lloyd was behind him, a knife sticking out of his chest, the wound oozing blood. He looked at Kratos with saddened eyes and collapsed on top of Colette.

"LLOYD!" Genis and Colette shouted as they embraced their fallen friend.

Kratos was trembling in anger, quickly losing his cool. His sword shook as he struggled to hold onto it as he glared Volke down.

"You… You will pay…. for that…" Kratos choked out, malice dripping off every word.

"He's still alive; however, you're going to have to treat him now to save him. I ask you, what's more important: Killing me in revenge while letting him die or saving the boy and letting us go?" Volke asked.

For Kratos, there was no choice for him. He immediately ran over to Lloyd to quickly heal him with Mia, Ranulf, and Raine appearing behind him, allowing Volke and Sheena to escape.

* * *

That night, the group had set up camp. Kratos personally volunteered to guard Lloyd. With the exceptions of the group and the randomly appearing Noishe, he allowed NOTHING to get within ten feet of the injured Lloyd, not even a leaf flowing in the wind.

Mia and Ranulf volunteered to do guard duty to give Lloyd some space. About a half-hour in, Raine joined them. Together, the three of them discussed what Volke had told them. Ranulf and Mia also told Raine about the dual scents regarding Yuan, Kratos, and Colette. Raine had proceeded to write all this down so she could keep track.

"So, let me clarify all this," Raine started as she flipped through her notes. "The Desians we encountered in Triet and the Martel Temple are not Desians, but a separate group called the Renegades. For some reason, the Renegades look similar to the Desians. Their motives are unknown, but they wish to have the Chosen killed."

"Perhaps they are allies," Mia offered a theory.

"Maybe. From what Volke said, their leader is Yuan and they seem to possess knowledge about Tellius and the sentient species located there, yet the average Sylvaranti wouldn't know of it. Also, there is this 'Red Valkyrie' who could pose a problem later on," Raine continued reading her notes.

"From what Genis told me, he and Colette encountered Volke in Triet. He had the perfect opportunity to assassinate Colette then, but did not. Instead he told them of the Molgera and even hinted to its weakness. But why would he do that?" Raine pondered as she stroked her chin.

"Well, Volke could've killed me, but he didn't," Mia reminded her.

"Fair point," Raine agreed.

"I think it all has to do with Ike and his family," Ranulf theorized.

"Oh?" Mia and Raine cocked their heads.

"Yeah. Volke worked for Ike's father for roughly ten years straight with no other jobs. Then he works for Ike for a little over a year. I would say that, over that time period, he developed something of a 'loyalty' to the Gawain family," Ranulf mused.

"Oh! I get it!" Raine snapped her fingers. "Because Volke has this 'loyalty' to Ike and because you two, who are real close to Ike, are with us and protecting the Chosen, he has chosen to aid us and not the Renegades, even though they are paying him."

"That does make sense," Mia nodded. "However, what really got me is that I remind Volke of his sister, of all things! I didn't even know that he had family!"

"Well, you learn something new every day," Raine retorted. "Besides, the more we know about our enemies and allies, the better."

"Yes. Speaking of allies, I'm concerned about Kratos," Ranulf frowned.

"I see. This Yuan character is concerned with Kratos interfering with is plans," Raine read off her notes.

"Do you think Yuan and Kratos are connected in any way?" Mia asked.

"Most likely," Raine replied. "It seems that Yuan and Kratos are enemies. But how exactly the two are connected, I'm not sure."

"What about the dual scents and the fact that Colette has one too?" Ranulf asked.

"It could mean nothing. Or it could mean everything," Raine cryptically replied.

"Damn. We get one answer and end up with a thousand questions," Mia kicked a tree.

"However, I think we can trust Kratos for now," Raine added.

"Why is that?" Mia and Ranulf asked.

"If Kratos wanted Colette dead, he'd of killed her right at the Martel Temple or at anytime before now. Also, I assume the two of you saw the look on his face when Volke's knife impaled Lloyd, right?" Raine defended.

"You're right. He had a look of pure worry and anguish on his face. Not something an enemy of ours would have," Mia remembered.

"It's a good thing Volke didn't really want to kill Lloyd; if that was his intent, Lloyd would've been dead before he hit the ground," Ranulf smiled.

"Obviously, Kratty seems to care for Lloyd, even if he won't admit it," Mia added.

"So, I think its safe to say that as long as Lloyd is with us, Kratos will be as well," Raine deduced.

"Probably. But I still wanna keep an eye on him," Ranulf argued.

"Yeah. I suppose we should," Mia agreed.

"We should. You never know what can happen," Raine nodded in agreement as well.

"So, I think we can make the following assumptions based on the facts we've gathered," Raine started.

"One: The Renegades are going to be as much of a threat to us as the Desians. Two: Kratos is our ally. Three: We now have a spy in the Renegades who is willing to work with us, as soon as we have Ike and the necessary funds to pay him. Four: The best way to defeat these Desians and Renegades to complete the Journey of Regeneration," she listed off, counting off each one on her right hand.

"That sounds about right," Ranulf observed as Mia nodded in agreement.

"I think that, for now, we should keep this to the three of us. I don't wanna worry Lloyd or the others with conspiracy theories," Raine advised.

"Got it," Mia and Ranulf agreed.

The three of them then left their secret meeting spot and headed back to camp. When they got there, they were treated to a unique sight. The injured Lloyd was lying down on the ground asleep, using Noishe as a pillow. Colette was asleep as well, her head in Lloyd's lap and a look of worry on her face. Genis was asleep as well, lying next to Lloyd. Kratos was sitting on a nearby stump, staring down Volke's knife, which he had stuck into the ground.

"Those three look cute together," Mia gestured to Lloyd and company.

"Let's leave them be. Lloyd needs his rest and I doubt Genis and Colette will leave his side," Raine suggested. "And I wouldn't want to be the one to tell Kratos to move."

"Man, I'd hate to be Volke right now. Kratos looks ready to rip him apart," Ranulf observed.

"That he does, Ranulf. That he does," Mia agreed.

"I wouldn't want to face an angry Kratos, even for a map to some secret ruins," Raine shivered.

Figuring it was best to leave Kratos and the others alone, Mia, Raine, and Ranulf decided to retire on the other side of camp.

* * *

_Volke and Kratos were staring each other down, ready to kill each other. Volke suddenly threw a knife at Kratos, which he dodged. The knife continued to fly, heading for Colette. Right before the knife impaled Colette, Lloyd threw himself in the knife's path, taking the blow._

_"LLOYD!" Colette shouted as Lloyd fell into her arms._

_Lloyd looked into her eyes and she saw the hope drain from them as his life faded. Colette hugged Lloyd tight and cried into shoulder._

_"Lloyd… Don't leave me…" she sobbed._

_"Colette… Colette… Colette!" a voice shouted._

* * *

Colette woke up in a cold sweat. She looked up and saw a very worried Lloyd staring at her. She glomped Lloyd with all her might and sobbed into his shoulder.

"Colette! Are you okay!?" Lloyd asked, ignoring the fact that her hug was irritating his wound.

"Lloyd! I was so worried! When that knife got you, I thought I lost you forever!" she sobbed, clutching him tighter.

"Colette, it's going to take a lot more than that to take me out," Lloyd assured her, stroking her hair.

"Lloyd, please don't do that again. I don't want to lose you. If it meant keeping you safe, I'd give up this journey and go home in an instant!" she vowed.

"Colette, we both know you have to do this journey. We can't abandon Sylvarant for me, you dork," Lloyd bopped her on the forehead.

"I know…" she sighed in defeat.

"But if makes you feel any better, I promise not to stupidly risk my life," he promised.

Colette's respond was to glomp Lloyd even more. Blushing at first, Lloyd hugged her back just as fierce, ignoring the pain in his chest. Whether that pain came from his wound or something else, he could not tell.

"I promise you, Colette. Nothing's going to hurt you. I will protect you," he swore.

* * *

"_Those two are wonderful together. I feel so sorry for Lloyd. When this journey is over, he is going to be devastated about what'll happen to Colette. But he's strong; he'll pull through. And I will be there to support him every step of the way._"

Raine had a gloomy smile on her face as she glanced upon the Chosen and her knight. She then approached them to wake her brother, still asleep next to Lloyd.

* * *

"…Lloyd. I'm sorry. I failed to protect those close to me once and I nearly failed again. I promise you this, Lloyd. I will make you strong and I will protect you. I will not abandon you as I did Anna. She would never forgive me if I abandon you again. And so help me, if I see Volke again, I will tear him limb from limb."

Kratos had a sad smile on his face as he glanced at Colette and Lloyd.

"The Chosen cares for you very much, Lloyd. I don't think I could look you in the eye when she has to die to save Sylvarant; I would see the same sadness I experienced long ago. …I guess I have no choice then. I'll have to make sure the both of you live and grow strong. I swear on my sword that you will have my protection. No one, not Yuan, not Volke, not Yggdrasill, not anyone will stop me."

With that, he went off into the forest to vent some frustration.

* * *

"_So you do know Yuan… Seems like Volke was right. Just what is your connection to Yuan? And why do you care about Lloyd, Kratos? Just how are the three of you connected? And who is Anna?_"

Mia had silently been spying on Kratos, overhearing everything, and saw him walk off into the forest. She then glanced back at Lloyd and Colette.

"_Kratty, I'm going to hold you to your promise. Don't be our enemy, Kratos. Lloyd has a high level of respect for you. It would devastate him, not to mention the rest of us, if you were to betray us. And I would cut you down with all my might should you do that._"

* * *

**And end chapter. Please don't hurt me for what Volke did to Lloyd! T.T  
Seeing as how there's a lot of info out in this chapter, I'll do my best to summarize it into questions for you.  
-Who is Volke's sister and why does Mia remind him of her?  
-Who is this mysterious 'Red Valkyrie' working for the Renegades?  
-What does Kratos' vow to protect Lloyd and Colette mean?  
-Now that Mia, Ranulf, and Raine know of the Renegades, how will they proceed?  
-Is Volke really on Ike's side, or is he playing both sides?  
-How will Volke and Sheena teaming up affect the plot?  
-How do the Renegades know of Tellius?**

**Those are the big questions of the chapter. Any other questions you may have can be answered if you've played the game, or will be answered in time. Next chapter will be a simple chapter (aka filler) to allow you to process the information, yet will throw in a plot twist in that's rarely, if ever, seen in a ToS fic. So, come back for the next chapter: The Hard Way.**


	9. Chapter 8: The Hard Way

**And welcome to Chapter 8. Before I begin, I must announce that I have now been on FanFiction for one year! :D WHOO! And to celebrate, I'm posting this chapter up! Now then, what will happen today here on Tales of Symphonia: Radiant Dawn? Ah, you shall see. Also, I would like to extend a personal thanks to sharingan dude for his inspiration and assistance with this chapter. If not for him, I wouldn't know how this chapter would have turned out. Enjoy, and be ready to see action!**

* * *

**Chapter 8:**_**The Hard Way**_

Two days have passed since the group encountered Volke and Sheena and Volke gravely wounded Lloyd. Mia canceled their training sessions until he fully healed. Colette and Kratos never left his side, making Lloyd feel like his personal space had been invaded. Right now, the group had just arrived in the village of Izlood in order to find a boat to travel to Palamcosta.

They spent hours trying to locate a boat, but none of the boats were sailing because monsters were roaming the waters between Izlood and Palmacosta. They did find one boat operational that was owned by a man named Max, but he refused to take them out to sea. They then encountered a girl named Lyla, who was trying to bully Max into delivering a letter to a man named Aifread. Under the impression the letter was a love letter, Mia and Colette tried to pressure the group to deliver the letter; however, Raine and Kratos vehemently disagreed. Lloyd was coerced into joining Mia and Colette's side and Ranulf agreed with Raine and Kratos, which left Genis as the deciding vote. Genis thought about it for a moment and came up with the following conclusion: the situation between Lyla, Max, and Aifread is private and that they shouldn't stick their nose into their business, even if it meant giving up passage to Palmacosta. Genis was met with disappointment from Mia and Colette, approval from Raine, Kratos, and Ranulf, and sighs of relief from Lloyd.

That night, the seven of them were in Izlood's inn, trying to find another way to cross the sea. As they pondered what to do, they chanced upon another group staying at the inn: a zoologist named Nova, his wife Sara, and their three children. They too were trying to find a way to cross the sea, but were stuck as well. They expressed sympathy for each other's plight when Nova realized something.

* * *

"I just remembered. I have heard that beyond the forest north of here is a lone bridge that will end up taking you somewhere southwest of Hima. We were going to consider taking that route, but were discouraged by the rumors," Nova explained.

"Rumors? What rumors?" Lloyd asked.

"They say where the forest meets the bridge, a demon resides there, killing all who trespass there," Nova informed them.

"A-A-A DEMON!?" Lloyd and Genis stuttered.

"Yes. They say that this demon will kill you in the most painful way possible, roast your flesh and eat it, smear your blood all over its sword, and crush your bones into new weapons for itself," Nova replied eerily.

"AAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!" Lloyd and Genis screamed, holding each other for protection, earning the laughter of several people.

"Yet… if all of us were to go together, we could probably make it there safely," Nova proposed.

"I suppose teaming up to get to Hima would be the best solution. Its either that or we wait here for an age for a boat," Kratos simplified the situation. "It would take a long time for us to get to Palmacosta, but probably not as long as waiting here."

"Agreed. All those in favor of joining Nova and his caravan to get to Hima, raise your hand," Raine ordered.

Mia, Raine, Kratos, Colette, and Ranulf raised their hands.

"And who would rather not join them?" Raine asked.

Lloyd and Genis raised their hands, scared of the demon of the forest.

"Well, it looks like we will be joining you for a little while, Nova," Mia revealed.

"Thank you. Of course, we will compensate you for your help," Nova offered.

"No thank you. As the Chosen, I refuse to accept your money," Colette declined.

"You are the Chosen? Then we are indeed lucky. Surely, the demon will not stand a chance against a figure as holy as the Chosen of Regeneration," Nova smiled.

"I suggest we all get some sleep now. I would like to head out at dawn, so we may cover as much ground as we can," Kratos suggested.

* * *

The next day, both groups set off for the bridge. As the Regeneration Group and Nova's Caravan traveled north towards the bridge to Hima, they exchanged stories with each other. When Nova mentioned that his family had encountered Aska, the Summon Spirit of Sunlight and one of the Summon Spirits of Light, Raine nearly caused the wagon to crash in her mad dash to get her hands on the story.

According to Nova's family, they spotted Aska at the height of the Ossa Trail when a wind blew through something called a Linkite Tree. Raine wrote down everything they had told them, down to the last letter; she hoped to make use of this information at some point in the future.

In exchange, the Regeneration group told them some things about their journey. In particular, Nova wanted to know about Ranulf, seeing how he had cat ears and a tail. Knowing that telling him about Tellius may not be in their best interest, Raine came up with a clever lie. She told Nova that Ranulf had been captured by the Desians and used his body for experiments, resulting in a transformation that gave him his unique features. Nova accepted this and asked to study Ranulf, for he believed that this may be the start of a new sentient species. Ranulf reluctantly agreed; to his relief, Nova's experiments were nowhere near as insane as Raine's.

When they stopped for the night, Mia, Lloyd, and Kratos went off on their own in order to discuss sword techniques. Lloyd was bragging about a new move he came up with that he called 'Tempest'. Kratos was telling them about a move called 'Light Spear'. As the two discussed those moves, an idea came to Mia's head.

"Would you two demonstrate these moves to me?" she asked, a grin on her face.

"Sure," Lloyd replied.

"I suppose so," Kratos agreed.

Lloyd went first. He ran and jumped into the air; as he flew through the air, he held his swords out in front of him. He somersaulted several times before landing on his feet.

"Awesome, Little Ike!" Mia cheered.

"Mia!" a flustered Lloyd shouted.

"I'm impressed, Lloyd," Kratos complimented, which made Lloyd smile.

"Okay, Kratty. Its now your turn," Mia ordered.

Kratos sighed at the use of that nickname as he drew his sword. He braced himself then jumped straight up with his sword held out, spinning like a top as he went up. At the peak of the jump, he swung his sword with all his might and then gracefully landed.

"Kratos! You went so high!" Lloyd was in awe.

"It looks like it'd hurt," Mia winced.

"Now then, I have a new move to show you," she announced.

Mia held her sword tight as she prepared for a sprint. She ran and jumped into the air, mimicking Lloyd's Tempest to a fault. Then, the moment she touched down, she jumped into the air, using Kratos' Light Spear. After she swung her sword at the peak of the jump, she backflipped and landed softly on the ground.

"I decided to combine the two moves into one, making it even more deadly. I call it Tempest Spear," Mia explained.

"Impressive how you combined our two moves to create a third one. It looked shaky, but with time, it would be a deadly move," Kratos observed.

"That move would take out most enemies in the air! Thank goodness. Flying enemies are always a pain!" Lloyd complained.

"And what I really like about the move is that it resembles Boss' signature move!" Mia grinned.

"Yeah. Ike's signature move is called Aether. No one but him can use it; believe me, I tried. What happens first is that he somersaults into the air and slashes at the enemy. After he lands, he jumps into the air and slashes at the opponent, knocking them backwards. The first half of the attack is capable of absorbing life energy and giving it to Ike; the other half is capable of piercing defenses," Mia explained in detail.

"Ow. That sound really painful," Lloyd winced.

"I think a similar technique was used in the Ancient Kharlan War, if I recall correctly," Kratos added.

"Really? Well, what was it?" Mia asked.

"I do not recall at the moment. When I do, I shall tell you," Kratos replied.

"Awesome," Mia grinned.

"Yeah. Hey, I'm hungry! Let's get some dinner!" Lloyd suggested.

"I'm hungry too. Let's hope that Raine's not cooking tonight," Mia shivered.

The two males paled at the thought of eating Raine's cooking again. Saying Raine's cooking was edible was the same as saying Colette hates dogs; its just not true. As Mia went back for dinner, Kratos held Lloyd back.

"What is it, Kratos?" Lloyd asked.

Kratos looked down at the ground with a look of sadness on his face.

"Lloyd…" he whispered.

"Yes?" Lloyd replied, a tad concerned.

"Lloyd… I… I am your…" Kratos tried to get out.

"Kratos, you okay? You acting all weird," Lloyd voiced his concern.

Kratos couldn't help but chuckle.

"I'm fine, Lloyd," he said, forcing a small smile on his face.

"What were you going to say?" Lloyd asked, now very curious.

"Lloyd, I am your…" he glanced at the ground.

"Yes?" he asked, wondering what on earth Kratos was trying to tell him.

Kratos then looked at Lloyd right in the eye with a soft expression.

"Lloyd, I am your teacher in the way of the sword, or at least one of them, so I can say this with confidence. You are growing strong, Lloyd. Everyday, I can see you getting better. As you grow, you will match Mia and, in time, you will even surpass me," Kratos smiled at Lloyd.

"You… You mean that?" Lloyd asked, completely surprised at Kratos' words.

"I do. But don't be reckless. Look what happened at the Ossa Trail. You were reckless and you nearly paid for that mistake with your life. Had you died, the Chosen would've lost the will to live and the journey would've been doomed to fail. The Chosen… No, Colette, cares for you Lloyd. More than you will ever know. So, I want you to grow strong. Grow strong to protect her and everyone else you hold dear to you. By fighting and training to protect your friends and family, I can see you become one of the greatest swordsmen to grace the land," Kratos advised him.

Lloyd's response was to hug Kratos. He was completely surprised by this action, but welcomed it with open arms.

"Thank you, Kratos. For some reason, hearing you say that… makes me feel like an empty part of my heart has filled up. I promise you that I will grow strong to protect the world and the ones I care about. Colette, Genis, Mia, Professor, Ranulf, Dad, Noishe, and even you, Kratos," Lloyd promised.

"I will hold you to those words, Lloyd," Kratos replied. "Now, let's get something to eat. I only hope that its not tomatoes."

At the word tomatoes, they both gagged, voicing their hatred for the red food. They both laughed and Lloyd ran off to get some food.

"Lloyd… you don't know what it means to me for you to consider me someone you hold dear to you. For the first time in fourteen years, I feel… happy… Continue to grow strong, Lloyd. For Colette, for Genis and Raine, for Mia and Ranulf… Grow strong for me… my son…"

* * *

With all the stealth of a ninja, Mia was hiding behind a tree, overhearing Kratos' words. She was completely shocked.

"Kratty is Little Ike's father!?" her thoughts screamed. "But how!? Kratos is too young to be his father! An uncle, cousin, or even brother, perhaps… but FATHER!? That is just a shocker!"

She calmed herself down and looked at it from another angle.

"Well, if Kratty is an elf, half-elf, or one of the branded, then it would make sense…" she thought to herself. "Yet… I haven't seen the mark on him. So, he's not branded."

Mia mentally debated about what to do with that information. Should she tell Raine and Ranulf? Should she tell Lloyd? After debating it for a minute, Mia decided that Kratos had earned enough of her trust that she would keep his secret… for now.

* * *

Three days after leaving Izlood, the two groups found themselves deep inside the forest that was right next to the bridge that connected the two continents. The forest was dank, dark, and deserted. No life seemed to be present in the forest and the trees were all withered. The forest was quiet… Too quiet…

"This is so sad," Colette sighed.

"What could've caused this forest to die?" Raine pondered.

"The rumors say the demon's presence has corrupted this place, causing all life to desert this place," Nova explained.

"Hm… Then we should be on our guard. You never know what may happen," Kratos warned.

As they traveled deeper into the forest, it got darker and more decrepit. It got to the point where they had to use torches and rely on Raine's Photon and Ranulf's mana to guide them. Colette seemed quite scared and held Lloyd for support. Lloyd had a sword out, ready for any and everything.

Eventually, the forest was beginning to get brighter and thinner, signaling that they were almost out. Excited, Lloyd, Genis, and Mia bolted from the rest of the group to get out. When they did rush out, they found themselves on a high cliff bordering the sea. Across the sea was another continent, where Hima, other cities, and possibly some of the seals are. Connecting the two landmasses was a lone bridge. It was an old wooden bridge, yet sturdy and was large enough to hold a wagon on it.

"Yes! We're out of that creepy forest!" Mia grinned.

"Thank goodness! I thought we were gonna get jumped or something," Lloyd sighed.

"Let's just cross the bridge and get to Hima," Genis suggested.

Just then, mana erupted from the ground and surrounded the three, trapping Lloyd, Genis, and Mia in some kind of ring.

"What on earth!?" Genis shouted as he stumbled.

To answer his question, something began to claw its way out of the ground. It was a large skeleton with demon horns, four arms, a tail, and four creepy weapons: a sword, a sickle, a rapier, and a hook.

"THAT'S THE DEMON!?" Lloyd and Genis stuttered.

"Well, I've been itching for a fight. Looks like I found it!" Mia grinned as she drew out Alondite.

Nova's Caravan and the rest of the group rushed out of the forest to see that Lloyd, Genis, and Mia were facing down the demon. Ranulf and Colette attempted to rush to their aid, but were repelled by the mana wall.

"Damn!" Ranulf spat.

"Lloyd!" Colette shouted, worried about her friend.

"So this is the demon…" Kratos observed. "I hope they can beat it."

"They're on their own. There's nothing we can do to help," Raine looked dejected.

"…SwOrD DaNcEr…YoU…FiGhT …DiE," the demon echoed.

"Like hell I'm going to die to the likes of you!" Mia shook her fist at it.

"I'm not going to die here. If anyone's gonna die here, its you!" Lloyd shouted, a sword pointed at the demon.

"You're going down, buster!" Genis swore.

"… CoMe!" it ordered.

Lloyd and Mia started by leaping forward to slash at it, but the Sword Dancer blocked with the hook and rapier. It then swung its sword and sickle at the two sword users, knocking them into the mana wall. As it charged with its weapons, Genis sent a Thunder Blade at it, striking it at the tail. That stunned the Sword Dancer long enough for Lloyd and Mia to get their bearings back.

Meanwhile, Colette and Kratos were attempting to break the mana wall. No matter what they did, their attacks could not break through it.

"Chosen, nothing we seems to do works," Kratos sighed.

"I'm not giving up! I won't leave Lloyd like this!" Colette sobbed.

"Then let's try with all our might," Kratos advised.

Sword and chakram struck at the mana wall, creating sparks, yet refused to yield.

Back to the fight, Genis had just sent a barrage of fireballs as Lloyd unleashed a flurry of stabs at the demon, which blocked with its hook and sickle. That bought enough time for Mia to get around it and swing her sword hard, managing to sever the hook arm off. As the Sword Dancer turned around to deal with the swordswoman, she uttered a single word: "Astra".

Mia disappeared in an instant and reappeared a moment later right next to Lloyd and Genis.

"Mia! What did you do?" Genis asked.

"Oh, you'll see," Lloyd grinned, knowing what was to come.

The Sword Dancer took three steps towards them slowly. After the third step, the Sword Dancer's skeletal body shattered into splinters, leaving only the head and the weapons.

"How did you do that!?" Genis gasped, mouth agape.

"I just slashed at it a lot really fast," Mia replied like it was nothing.

"Yeah! You're awesome! Now let's get out of here!" Lloyd grinned.

"Guys! The wall of mana hasn't disappeared yet!" Ranulf shouted.

The three turned to see everyone else still trapped behind the wall of mana.

"The wall's still there? How do we get rid of it?" Mia asked as she observed the wall.

"Behind you!" Kratos shouted.

The three turned to see all four of the demon's weapons flying towards them. They managed to narrowly dodge the weapons and redrew their weapons.

"What the hell!?" Lloyd growled.

Suddenly, the Sword Dancer's skull floated into the air, completely surrounded by a chaotic aura.

"…I…nO LoSe…DiE," the skull echoed.

The sword, rapier, hook, and sickle flew at the three heroes. Genis was forced on the defensive, constantly dodging the rapier, leaving him unable to attack. As it stabbed at him again, he dodged and managed to grab the rapier by the handle. Feeling the chaotic energy in the blade, he quickly threw it away at the demon head, which scurried out of the rapier's path. Genis then got an idea.

"Guys! Throw its weapons back at it!" he suggested as the rapier came flying back.

"Got it!" Mia yelled out as she blocked the demon's sword with her own.

Lloyd sheathed one of his swords as he attempted to deal with both the hook and sickle. They both came flying at him, ready to decapitate him. Lloyd dodged and ran at the hook. He stabbed at the ground with all his might, pinning the hook to the ground. The sickle came back at Lloyd, who managed to sidestep and grab it. He then twisted himself around and threw the sickle at the Sword Dancer's head. It managed to avoid a direct hit, but its horn was nicked. Lloyd then yanked the hook free and threw it at the skull, which dodged it as well.

Mia blocked the sword's lunge with her own sword. As the two swords struggled, Mia threw herself to the ground, allowing the sword to fly over her. As it did, she grabbed it and held on with all her might. Just then, the other three weapons refocused their attention on her, trying to free their brethren. Lloyd came to her aid, and together, the two of them began fighting the three weapons.

Genis took the opportunity to launch spells at the skull. He tried Lightning, Fire Ball, Wind Blade, Thunder Blade, Stalagmite, and Air Thrust, but the skull was just too fast for Genis to hit.

Mia was beginning to feel fatigued. Between the battle, struggling to hold onto the demon's sword, and fighting off the chaotic energy within the sword, Mia was beginning to weaken.

"This is too much, even for me… I can't keep this up much longer… Damn…" she thought.

Lloyd noticed Mia's weariness.

"Mia! Don't you DARE give up on me now! We need you!" he shouted.

Lloyd's words caused her to look at him, but when she did, Mia didn't see Lloyd fighting alongside her. Instead, she saw a muscular man with blue hair fighting with a golden sword: Ike.

"Mia, don't give up here! Don't die! We all need you! I need you!" the illusion of Ike shouted.

Bolstered by those words, Mia got real serious and blocked all three weapons at the same time. As her determination grew, so did her anger.

"I'm not gonna end here!" Mia shouted.

A red aura began to surround Mia as her anger kept rising.

* * *

"What's that?" Raine asked, curious about the red aura.

"That is a skill unique to Tellius. It is call Wrath. It can only be called upon in times of dire stress or when one is extremely pissed. When one calls upon Wrath, their strength, speed, and skill increase exponentially for a short period of time," Ranulf explained.

"That sounds like the Over Limit effect we have here," Raine observed.

* * *

As she struggled against all three weapons, Mia shouted, "Lloyd! Genis! Take care of these things! I have a date with that skull!"

Genis cast Icicle to freeze the weapons in place long enough for Mia to make a run at the demon. With both Alondite and the demon's sword in hand, she jumped high at it with Tempest, the very move Lloyd taught her not long ago. The skull managed to dodge the spiral cut. Mia found herself at the mana wall and used it to rebound and fling herself at the skull. As she flew back at it, she threw the demon's sword at its skull, forcing it to dodge, which was what Mia wanted. Firing a blast of mana from Alondite, she altered her course right for the demon's head, moving too fast for it to dodge. The white blade stabbed right into the skull as they went right for the ground. As soon as they touched down, Mia had a feral grin on her face, Wrath's aura shining at its peak.

"Feel the power of Yune, you monster! Holy Impact!" she shouted out.

A large rune appeared on the ground. A large plume of mana erupted from the rune, incinerating the skull to ashes. The four weapons of the demon all fell to the ground as the demon died; the hook and sickle crumbling to dust as they did.

"Holy cow! Mia, that was at least three times more powerful than the last Holy Impact you did!" Genis gasped.

"Was it? I guess that means I've perfected it then," Mia grinned as she put her sword away.

"Mia, you okay? Last time you did that, you fell over in exhaustion," Lloyd voiced his concern.

"I'm fine, Lloyd. I'm okay. Better than I've been in awhile," she replied as she looked to the sky.

Suddenly, the wall of mana separating the two groups fell, allowing them to reunite.

"Lloyd! I'm so glad you're okay!" Colette glomped him.

Kratos gave Lloyd a nod of approval as he put a hand on his shoulder.

"Genis! This is why you stay with the group at all times, understand!?" Raine scolded her brother, wagging her finger at him.

"Aw, sis…" Genis whined.

"Mia, I'm impressed. I haven't seen a show of power that big since Ashera!" Ranulf exclaimed.

"Gee, thanks…" Mia rubbed the back of her head.

"Where did that come from?" Ranulf asked in curiosity.

"There was a moment… when I was ready to give up… But then I saw him…" Mia explained.

"Him?" Ranulf cocked his head.

"Boss. I saw him. He spurred me on to continue the fight. Thanks to him, I rebounded and won," she clarified as she looked to the sky once more.

"Yeah, Ike tends to have that effect on people, whether he's here or not," Ranulf chuckled.

"I miss him, Ranulf. Very much…" she sighed, her eyes beginning to water.

"Mia, don't worry. We'll find him soon. I promise," Ranulf assured her.

"And what about you? Aren't you worried about Lyre?" Mia asked.

"I am, but I know she can take care of herself. I know we'll find her soon. Besides, she knows she can't die on me because that'll leave me to her sister's wrath!" Ranulf replied.

Mia couldn't help but laugh. They were both worried about someone out there, but deep down, they knew they were okay and that they would find them soon enough.

"Everyone! Over here!" they heard Nova shout.

The seven warriors went over to Nova and his family, who were in a circle.

"What is it, Nova?" Lloyd asked.

"Two of the demon's weapons remain," he told them.

The family dispersed to reveal the Sword Dancer's sword and rapier. The rapier looked like intertwined pieces of green and white vine. The rapier's hand guard was white while the handle itself was green. The sword had an ebony blade and had a black and red handle. On the top center part of the blade was a red jewel that looked suspiciously like a demonic eye. Raine immediately took a closer look at the weapons and read the descriptions of them. She gasped.

"No. It couldn't be…" she whispered.

"What is it, Raine?" Genis asked.

"According to the weapon's inscriptions, these are Abbadon's Blade and Soul Blade Mercurius," Raine informed them.

"Soul Blade Mercurius!? The rapier said to have been used by the Child of the Full Moon, legendary princess of the Kharlan War!? THAT rapier!?" Nova gasped.

"Abbadon's Blade? The sword said to contain the soul of the angel of death and destruction?" Kratos asked.

"The very same two weapons," Raine replied. "And what's really got me is that they've been corrupted by powerful demonic blood."

Everyone gasped.

"Are you saying…" Mia gasped.

"..That these weapons…" Ranulf continued.

"…Are part of…" Lloyd added.

"…The Devil's Arms!?" Genis finished.

"Most likely, yes," Raine answered, a grim look on its face.

"Then the Sword Dancer…" Colette realized.

"Most likely was some poor soul who was corrupted by the power of both Devil's Arms," Kratos finished.

"But how do we know if they're really Devil's Arms or not?" Lloyd asked.

"Simple. Have Colette purify them. If they react in the same way as the Soul Eater, then we have two more Devil's Arms," Raine deduced.

"Guess that means its up to me," said Colette as she revealed her wings.

She stepped up to the two weapons and kneeled before them.

"Oh Goddess Martel, grant me thy power and banish the evil within!" she prayed.

Just as the Soul Eater did, both the sword and rapier slowly rose into the air and were encased in a glow of yellow light. As the two slowly descended, one landed in Mia's hands; the other gently on the ground.

"That confirms it. They are, or were, both Devil's Arms," said Raine.

"So, these are two of the infamous Devil's Arms. Never thought I'd see one, much less two," Nova gasped.

"Actually, we have three," Kratos clarified as he pulled out Soul Eater from behind his swallow-tail cape.

"Three!? Wow. That's amazing," an impressed Nova replied.

Raine then grabbed Soul Blade Mercurius and stowed it away for future use and study before Kratos could get it. She then turned towards the bridge.

"We should get going," she suggested.

"Yes, let's get going," Kratos agreed.

Everyone got back on Nova's wagon and slowly crossed the bridge, successfully making it to a new continent.

* * *

A few days later, both groups found themselves outside of Hima.

"We made it to Hima. We would like to stick with you guys, but we wish to get to Asgard," Nova explained.

"That's okay. We need to stop at every town in order to search for clues regarding the seals. We would only hinder you," Raine replied.

"Still, it was nice traveling with you for a time. I hope we meet again," Nova wished.

Nova and his family said their goodbyes to the Regeneration Group and took off to the north.

"So, let's get going, everyone! We have to save the world!" Lloyd pumped a fist into the air.

* * *

_**On the outskirts of Hima…**_

A group of bounty hunters were pursuing a figure in a brown cloak and hood, holding a bow in its hands and wearing a quiver on its back.

"Damn those beorc! Don't they have anything better to do than chase me around!? Captain Ranulf, where are you? I could use your help!" the figure shouted as it jumped from cliff to cliff, dodging arrows and spells.

* * *

_**At the Hima graveyard…**_

A man with blue hair and a large sword stood in front of a grave, looking down in sorrow. He looked to the sky, a couple of tears in his eyes.

"My love… I don't know where you are, or if you're even okay, but I swear to find you and save you, if it's the last thing I do! Nothing will keep us apart!" he swore as he held his sword up high.

* * *

**And I shall end it there, with teasers abound. First off, none of you expected me to go to Hima instead of Palmacosta, did you? For those who don't know, in the game, north of Izlood, there really is a bridge that will take you to Hima. That is commonly known as 'The Hard Path', since you do the Light and Wind Seals and deal with the Asgard ranch first. And, you also get Sheena sooner in the game. Secondly, yes, I'm borrowing Soul Blade Mercurius from Tales of Vesperia. It was just too awesome to not use. Also, I want to credit Abbadon's Blade to sharingan dude. I owe you, man! Now then...**

**Lloyd and company now have three of the Devil's Arms and are now in Hima and are searching for clues to the next seal. What will happen? Who is the cloaked figure being chased by bounty hunters? And, is that Ike in the Hima graveyard? Find out soon! Until then, I have to study for finals! DX**


	10. Chapter 9: Together, We Ride!

**And, somehow, during finals, I managed to get this chapter written! :D Yay, me! Now, then, today, we're in Hima. This chapter continues immediately where Chapter 8 left off. Be ready, everyone! For we're getting new allies and new characters and a new organization involved here! So, please read and enjoy!**

**NOTE: On my profile, I have a list of Party Characters and a running list of Devil's Arms so you can keep track of them. Check it out!**

* * *

**Chapter 9: ****_Together, We Ride! _**

Lloyd, Colette, Genis, Kratos, Raine, Mia, and Ranulf made their way into Hima, the Village of Adventures. Just inside the town, they ran into two girls: One seemed to be dressed as a maid; the other just happened to be Sheena, the female assassin the group met at the Ossa Trail, along with Volke. The group decided to spy and overheard an interesting conversation between the two girls.

"…Is Pietro going to be alright?" the woman asked.

"I don't know, Sophia. None of the healers seem to be able to cure him," Sheena drooped her head.

"If only we had Boltzman's book of healing techniques! Surely one of them could cure him!" the now identified Sophia sobbed.

"Yes, but the only known copy is in the Tower of Mana, and only the church has access to it," Sheena replied. "They're not going to let me in for any reason, even to save Pietro. About the only people allowed to enter the Tower are the head priest, who has the key, and the Chosen of Mana herself."

"Oh! Oh! I can help!" Colette yelled out upon hearing that.

Kratos, Mia, Raine, Ranulf, Lloyd, and Genis smacked themselves in the forehead, knowing that their cover was blown. The two girls turned to see the seven of them standing there.

"You!" Sheena gasped.

"Sheena, if you really need Boltzman's book to save someone, I can easily get it for you," Colette offered.

"Colette, you shouldn't be helping the enemy!" Raine scolded.

"But someone's life is at stake! I have to help, even if it means helping the bad guys," Colette argued.

"Dwarven Vow #18: It is better to be deceived than to deceive," Lloyd sided with the Chosen.

"I hate to say it, but Colette is right. Nothing is absolute in life, especially the rules of good and evil," Ranulf added.

"Please! Let me help! As the Chosen of Regeneration, I solemnly swear to find this book and use it to help you," Colette promised.

Sophia brightened up at this.

"You… You are the Chosen?" she asked.

"I am and I wish to help," Colette grinned.

"Thank you…" Sophia cried tears of joy.

Sheena, on the other hand, seemed to be completely shocked at Colette's kindness.

"You… you would help?" she quietly asked.

"We would, that is, if you want us to…" Lloyd replied.

"Dammit! This was suppose to be a quick and simple job! Now it's gotten all complicated!" Sheena growled.

"Care to explain what you mean by that?" Kratos asked.

"Nevermind. Next time I see you, I'll take care of you all," Sheena promised as she vanished in a puff of smoke.

"…I just realized something. If Sheena was here, and Volke is working with Sheena, then where is Volke?" Lloyd asked in a rare show of using logic.

The others realized he had a valid point. Kratos immediately drew his blade and scanned the area for ambushes and traps.

"I don't think Volke's around," Mia eased their fears. "Volke is probably doing another job for his boss. And think about it. If both Sheena and Volke were here, we would've been ambushed the moment we stepped foot in Hima."

"…You're right," Kratos replied as he sheathed his sword.

Raine then turned to Sophia.

"…Sophia, was it? May I take a look at this Pietro? I am a healer as well," Raine offered.

"Yes. Anything you can do to help," she replied.

"Okay then. Kratos, come with me. You might be able to help me out. The rest of you, I want you to ask around for clues to the remaining seals," Raine ordered.

"You mean the seals the Chosen must break on her journey? Well, the Tower of Mana, where Boltzman's book of healing artes is, is a holy site for the Church. There is most likely a seal there, or at least some clues to their whereabouts," Sophia informed them.

"That is useful information," Raine smiled.

"The least I can do for the Chosen and her vow to help Pietro," Sophia replied.

"So, can you take me to him now?" Raine requested.

"Of course," Sophia responded.

With that, she led Kratos and Raine to the inn where Pietro was staying.

"So, what should we do now?' Genis asked.

"Do as the Professor said and search for clues," Ranulf suggested.

"But what kind of clues does my sister expect to find here?" Genis sighed.

"Dunno. But we should do as she says. You know how scary she can be," Mia whispered, making them all shudder.

"Let's split into two groups. Mia, Genis, and I will search the western half of the village for clues. Lloyd, you and Colette search the eastern half," Ranulf ordered.

"Got it. We'll come find you if we find anything," Lloyd replied.

* * *

After splitting up, Lloyd and Colette began their search inside Hima. They decided that the best place to search would be Hima's highest point. When they got there, the two gazed upon the Tower of Salvation, clearly visible from the mountain peak.

"Its so huge from here. What would it be like to actually go to the Tower?" Lloyd asked.

"We'll be going there eventually," Colette replied. "You can find out then."

"Right. And until then, I will protect you every step of the way," Lloyd promised.

Unconsciously, Lloyd grabbed Colette's hand, which made her flinch. After the shock passed, she squeezed Lloyd's hand gently, alerting him to the hand-holding. He gently squeezed back and gazed at her. Colette gazed back, a smile on her face. The two just stood there, nothing else in the world mattering to them for they had momentarily found perfect peace.

Just then, a 'pop' brought them back to reality. A plume of smoke appeared a few feet from them and Sheena emerged from the smoke. Lloyd was about to draw his swords, but Colette grabbing his arm told him not to.

Sheena gazed upon the two of them, unsure what to expect.

"I have to ask you: Why would you be willing to help Pietro for me, even though I am your enemy?" she asked.

"Why? Because an innocent person needs help, that's why," Colette replied.

"If we can help anyone, that's what we do," Lloyd added.

"Besides, I know that you're not our enemy," Colette smiled.

"What makes you say that?" Sheena asked, completely confused.

"Your eyes. I can see great kindness in them. I also see fear and knowledge of suffering. Like Lloyd, myself, and the others, you too have seen great suffering at some point in your life," Colette answered.

Lloyd knew what Colette was trying to do; she was trying to convince Sheena to join them. He decided to help her out and drew upon his experience to do so.

"And those memories motivate you. They motivate you to try your hardest and not to do another mistake and cause more suffering. You strive to protect those around you, whether they are strangers or the closest of friends. Yet, the guilt does not go away. You will always feel some guilt for the earlier sufferings you've seen because you escaped them and regret that you couldn't help or believe that it was your fault," Lloyd added with a sad expression.

"…That's why you want me dead. You're protecting someone. Someone who would suffer should I regenerate the world. But, Sheena, surely you have seen the people of Sylvarant suffering as well. By oppression from the Desians, the food and water shortages, the climate… People will DIE if I don't do something. Surely, you, with all the kindness you possess, can't just stand by and allow that to happen, can you?" Colette pleaded.

Sheena was completely dumbfounded. How in Martel's name were they able to read her so easily? She was a ninja: Unreadable, Undetectable, Unfeeling. Yet, according to them, she was an open book! Also, the suffering Colette spoke of wouldn't stop invading her thoughts.

A part of Sheena knew that Colette was right; abandoning the people of Sylvarant to die was against everything she was. Yet… she couldn't abandon her own people for Sylvarant.

"…You're right. I can't just allow them to suffer, Chosen. Yet, should you succeed, my people will die," Sheena confessed.

"What do you mean?" Lloyd asked.

"…You wouldn't understand," Sheena sighed.

"Try me. If your people truly will die, then let me help you! Together, we can find a way for everyone to survive!" Colette pleaded, holding Sheena's hands.

Sheena was just floored with Colette's offer. Her enemy, the one she was to assassinate, was offering to help her save her people!

"But what about me trying to assassinate you or the people I work for or the people I'm trying to save?" Sheena sobbed.

"With time, your crimes will be forgiven with the Goddess Martel, should you repent," Colette answered.

"You don't have to tell us everything, at least not right away; it wouldn't be right of us to have you reveal your secrets until you trust us. However, by working together, I'm sure that we can find a solution that will save Sylvarant and your people without any sacrifices. Colette and I are willing to trust you and with time, so will the others. The question is: Are you willing to trust us?" Lloyd extended his hand in friendship.

Sheena stared at Lloyd's hand with a look of apprehension on her face. She couldn't believe that two of her enemies were willing to trust her, even after she tried to kill them. She looked into their eyes; their eyes were so calm and trusting. They truly seemed willing to help her out. From the start, she had her doubts about killing the Chosen and they had only intensified when she first encountered them. Now, she knew what she had to do.

She took Lloyd's hand and vigorously shook it.

"I am. You seem sincere enough. For now, I shall place my trust in you. However, should I feel that there is no other way or that I've been betrayed, I will assassinate the Chosen," Sheena responded with a glare.

"I understand. If it comes to that, I will fight back, for I love Sylvarant and its people," Colette warned.

"Fair enough. I can live with that. Let me properly introduce myself. I am Sheena Fujibayashi, kunochi of the Igaguri clan," she introduced herself.

"Colette Brunel, Chosen of Regeneration."

"Lloyd Irving, future swordmaster and Colette's close friend."

"Now, Sheena. Please tell us what you are able to. I really do want to help," Colette pleaded.

"Well, you see…" Sheena started, but was interrupted by an explosion.

"What was that!?" Lloyd asked.

"That sounded like an Eruption spell," Sheena replied.

"We should check it out," Colette suggested. "Someone may be in trouble!"

Lloyd, Colette, and their new ally Sheena then took off towards the noise.

The three eventually found themselves perched on a cliff. When they peered down, they saw a cloaked figure with its back against one of the cliff walls. About sixty people surrounded the figure. It withdrew a bow from its cloak and started firing arrows at the crowd in an attempt to protect itself.

"Lloyd! We have to help that person!" Colette pleaded.

"Hold on. This person might be a murderer or criminalfor all we know. We help that person, and our heads may be on the line for helping the wrong side," Sheena warned.

"Yes, but I'm the Chosen! Surely, they will listen to me!" Colette argued.

"Colette, here's a lesson you'll have to learn. Some people won't care who you are; they'll do whatever the bloody hell they want. You could be the Goddess Martel herself and they still wouldn't give a damn," Sheena scolded.

"Sheena…" Colette frowned.

"Shhh…. They're talking," Lloyd hushed his allies.

* * *

"You filthy beast! You need to die!" one of the men shouted.

"Demons need to die!" another shouted.

"You idiots! I am not a demon! I am innocent. Instead of chasing the likes of me, you could be taking out bandits or those Desians you people loathe so much!" the cloaked figure growled in a feminine voice.

"Who cares about those idiot Desians? We're the Monster Eradication Guild, known as the MEG. Our goal is to rid Sylvarant of all monsters and demons, and that means you!" another man shouted.

"You beorc scum! I am no monster! I'm a laguz! And if anyone's a monster, it's the likes of you!" the figure shouted.

"Who cares what you have to say? Now die! Wind Blade!" a mage shouted.

A blast of wind struck the figure against the wall, causing its hood to fall off. From what Lloyd and the others could see, the figure was actually a woman. She had shoulder-length spiky dusty blonde hair tied in a ponytail. She had red eyes and her face was feline-like. And she had brown cat ears on her head.

* * *

"A laguz!?" Lloyd shouted.

"You know who that is?" Sheena asked.

"If that girl is who I think it is, then we need to save her now!" Lloyd argued.

Colette realized what Lloyd was talking about.

"Lloyd, that's Lyre?" Colette asked.

"Most likely. And if that's the case, she's a friend. We have to save her," Lloyd replied.

"So, we're going to jump into the thick of things and save this 'Lyre', eh?" Sheena asked.

"Yeah. You gonna help?" Lloyd asked.

"I like your style. Of course I'll help. But we'll need some backup," Sheena noted.

"Corrine!" she summoned.

A small nine-tailed fox appeared next to Sheena.

"Yes, Sheena?" the kitsune asked.

"Find the Chosen's companions and tell them where we are and that we need their help," Sheena ordered.

"Tell them that Lyre's in grave danger! Please hurry!" Colette added.

"Got it!" Corrine replied and ran back into the village.

"Well, let's get going. They're not going to wait all day for us," Sheena advised.

Lloyd and Sheena jumped down the cliff as Colette flew down. The three of them landed in front of the girl.

"Stop this!" Lloyd shouted, drawing his swords.

"Who the heck are you three suppose to be?" one of the MEG asked.

"I am the Chosen. I humbly ask that you stand down and leave this poor girl alone," Colette ordered, her chakrams ready to fly..

"The Chosen!?" some of the whispered.

Apparently, some of them seemed weary about opposing the will of the Chosen and fled before encountering eternal damnation.

"I don't believe it! The Chosen of Mana is a monster sympathizer! How disgusting! Now get out of our way or we'll run you through!" one of the men shouted.

"I'd like to see you idiots try," Sheena growled at the MEG, seals clutched in her hands.

"Why are you helping me?" the female laguz asked.

"You're Lyre, right?" Lloyd asked.

"How do you know my name!?" a now identified Lyre asked in surprise.

"We're friends of Mia and Ranulf," Lloyd answered with a grin.

"You know Captain Ranulf!?" Lyre gasped.

"Yeah. We just need to hold out for a little while and Ranulf will be here with help," Lloyd explained.

"You got it!" she grinned as she strung another arrow on her bow.

"Enough talk! The demon must die! And anyone who sides with them must be punished!" a random MEG member growled.

"Please! Stop this!" Colette begged. "I don't want any of you to die."

"Colette, they're not going to listen to you. All we can do now is give them a swift, honorable death," Sheena replied. "If they even deserve that."

"Now die you fools!" The crowd shouted.

The MEG surrounded the four warriors, their backs against the cliff wall and began their assault. Lloyd and Sheena were the front line, taking on the majority of the MEG. Colette and Lyre were behind them, sending projectiles and spells.

Lloyd used his swords to block a blow from a club then sliced the man's head off. Behind him, another man raised an axe to cleave Lloyd in half. Sheena appeared and kicked the man in face, leaving him vulnerable. Lyre fired off an arrow into the man's head, killing him. Sheena then slapped a seal onto another MEG, freezing him in place. Lloyd then ran him through with Sonic Thrust.

Colette and Lyre were supporting Lloyd and Sheena. Colette was firing off Angel Feathers and Ray Thrusts at the MEG, keeping them at bay. Lyre was firing off a barrage of arrows to assist. However, the arrows were being less effective than she hoped.

"Grr… Looks like I'll have to go to my backup plan," Lyre growled.

A black spell circle appeared under her and she glared at a couple of men who had gotten past Lloyd and Sheena.

"Smile, o wavering darkness! Spread Zero!" Lyre chanted.

A mass of dark energy appeared in front of them men and exploded, killing them.

"Lyre, you can use elder black magic?" Colette asked as her chakrams flew threw the masses.

"Yeah. Pelleas, former king of Daein, taught me some magic in case of emergencies," Lyre replied as she feathered another man.

While the four of them managed to stop some of the MEG, there were just too many of them for them to fight. They soon found themselves tired and exhausted.

"We kill one, two more appear in its place," Sheena panted.

"Don't they ever give up?" Lloyd heavily breathed.

"Beorc tend to be quite stubborn," Lyre spat.

"No more! Please! No more bloodshed!" Colette cried out.

"You guys are good. I'll give you that. But no one, not demon, human, or even the Chosen can stand up to the might of the MEG!" a random sword user yelled out.

"Damn you. Don't you guys ever shut up?" Sheena growled.

"Such fitting last words. Ready to die?" the sword user shouted back.

"I think you're the one who's gonna die," a voice called out.

The sword user suddenly found himself one head shorter, leaving everyone in shock. Standing next to the beheaded body was a man with spiky indigo hair. He also held a giant black and gold sword in his hand, dripping with the blood of the man he just killed.

"Whoa!" Sheena gasped.

"Is… Is that General Ike!?" a stunned Lyre asked.

"That's Ike!?" Lloyd and Colette.

"Uh, sorry. I'm not Ike," the man replied, rubbing the back of his head.

Lyre then sniffed the air.

"Whoa! No, its not him. He kinda looks like him, but its not the General. Besides, the General never had a scent that strong," Lyre acknowledged as she held her nose.

"Just who the hell are you!?" one of the MEG asked.

"The name's Decus. And I don't appreciate you attacking such lovely ladies and their escort," he introduced himself while bowing.

"Why do you care!? Can't you see that one of them's a demon, a monster!?" a man shouted out.

"Does it really matter if they're different than a human? Just because they're not human doesn't make them a monster. Being a monster is a choice; and I'd say that you lot are the monsters," Decus insulted them.

"Besides, did you not notice the girl with wings? That's the Chosen. Kill her and all the hope of Sylvarant dies with her. I cannot allow that. Now leave or die," Decus warned.

"You'll be the one who dies, you monster lover!" several MEG growled at him.

"Don't say I didn't warn you. You four don't mind me helping out, do you?" Decus offered.

"Of course not!" Lloyd grinned.

"I appreciate the help!" Colette chirped.

"Anyone willing to teach these beorc a lesson is one I can call friend," Lyre added.

"We can definitely use some more man power," Sheena finshed.

"Good," Decus replied. "Now, then…"

He turned and took a stance.

"Which one of you monsters wants to die first?" he asked.

With Decus' timely arrival, Lloyd and company got their second wind. Together, the five of them turned the tide against the MEG. They managed to cut their numbers down severely.

"We of the MEG never give up!" one of the men shouted.

"Give it up! You've lost!" Sheena shouted.

"Bah! There's twenty of us still. There's only five of you, and you're exhausted. We'll kill you all yet!" another MEG shouted.

"Do you REALLY want to try that?" someone growled.

Behind the MEG stood Raine, Kratos, Genis, Mia (with Corrine on her shoulder), and one extremely pissed Ranulf.

"Captain! Mia!" Lyre shouted.

"Lyre, you okay?" Mia yelled out.

"I'm fine. I've had worse injuries from my sister. Compared to her, these beorc are nothing," Lyre assured her.

"Good to hear," Mia smirked.

"Now then… You all get one warning. Leave or I promise you the MOST PAINFUL DEATH imaginable," Ranulf growled, his voice enhanced by mana.

The men of the MEG looked at each other for a few seconds and decided that it might be in their best interest to withdraw.

"Fine. We'll leave. But don't think this is over, you freaks. You monsters and monster sympathizers will pay for this!" one of the men yelled out.

With that, the remaining men fled to fight another day.

"Well, that's over," Sheena sighed in relief.

"Thunder Blade!" Kratos and Genis cried out.

Sheena was forced to dodge both spells and immediately took a fighting stance.

"Kratos! Genis! What the hell do you think you're doing!?" Lloyd shouted.

"Lloyd, stay away from her!" Genis warned.

"Lloyd, she is our enemy. We need to take her out before she does the same to us," Kratos answered.

"Stay away from Sheena, you big jerk!" Corrine yelled.

She jumped from Mia's shoulder, latched onto Kratos' head, and clawed at his face.

"Get this thing off of me!" Kratos shouted, trying to pry Corrine off his face.

Had the situation not been so serious, everyone would've probably been laughing.

"Guys! Sheena's our friend now! Please stop this!" Colette begged.

"Is that so?" Raine asked.

"Yes. We made a deal with Sheena. We help her and she helps us," Lloyd answered.

"And what kind of deal would that be?" Raine pressed.

"We help her save her people and she'll help us with our journey," Lloyd answered again.

"And who are her people?" Raine grilled.

"…We don't know that yet," Lloyd confessed.

"When there's enough trust, Sheena will tell us, right Sheena?" Colette asked.

"…Yes. If it makes you feel any better, I solemnly swear on the way of the ninja that as long as I can see another way out, no harm shall befall Colette in any way, by my hand or another's. And, when the time is right, I will tell you what I know," Sheena vowed, getting down on her knees.

"…I suppose if I look at it another way, I guess this means I can keep an eye on you. But don't think I'm going to lower my guard for a second," Raine glared.

"Heh. You're as devious as you look," Sheena glared back.

"Sheena, I have to ask: Where is Volke right now?" Ranulf asked.

"That money-loving creep? Who knows? My bet is that he's on another job at the moment. However, he will probably be back to try and kill the Chosen again," Sheena informed him.

"I see…" Ranulf muttered to himself.

"WOULD SOMEOME GET THIS THING OFF OF MY FACE!?" Kratos demanded.

They turned to see that Corrine was still latched onto Kratos' mug, Kratos desperately trying to separate himself from the small fox. Everyone had a laugh.

"Okay, Corrine. That's enough. You're dismissed," Sheena giggled.

"Yes, Sheena," Corrine obliged.

Corrine got off Kratos' head and glared at him.

"If you're mean to Sheena again, I'll bite your nose off!" she growled before she poofed away.

Kratos then shot a dirty look at Sheena.

"I suggest keeping your friend away from my face. And I'll be keeping an eye on you," Kratos death-glared Sheena.

Raine then turned her attention to Decus, who had been ignored up to this point. He was just standing there, minding his own business, fiddling with the black fur collar on his white jacket, and dusting off his black pants.

"And who are you?" she asked.

"Milady, I am Decus, a swordsman native to here in Hima," Decus introduced himself.

"And why did you help us?" Raine asked.

"I was passing through when I overheard the sounds of battle. I ended up overhearing the conversations these four had with the MEG. Judging people before they know their hearts and calling them such horrible names… They're the true monsters," Decus replied.

"I'm impressed. You have our gratitude," Raine thanked the man.

"If you wouldn't mind, could I ask all of you a question?" Decus asked.

Everyone suddenly got quiet and stared at him.

"What is it?" Raine asked, suddenly skeptical.

"I'm looking for someone. She disappeared a couple of months ago. Her name is Alice and she means the world to me. Have you seen her?" Decus pleaded.

He then pulled a photo out of his jacket. The photo was of a girl in her mid to late teens. She had shoulder-length blonde hair and golden-brown eyes. She was also wearing a white hat that had a veil that covered the back of her head. In her hands seemed to be a toy rapier. She seemed happy.

"Sorry, Decus. I haven't," Lloyd replied.

"Forgive me. I have not seen her," Colette apologized.

"I think I'd remember her had we met," Genis observed.

"I have not crossed paths with this girl," Kratos stoically answered.

"She looks young enough to be a student of mine, but sadly, I don't know her," Raine informed him.

"Nope. Can't say I've seen her," Sheena responded.

"Kinda reminds me of Mist, but nope, never seen your Alice," Mia frowned.

"I'd remember a beorc that cute," Ranulf smirked.

"Nope. Never seen her," Lyre rounded out.

"Oh…" Decus looked devastated.

Mia instantly knew that look on Decus' face. It was the same that she would have whenever she thought about Ike.

"…You love her, don't you?" she asked.

"…I do. My beloved Alice means the world to me. For the last six years, its only been the two of us, no one else to support us," Decus confessed. "Without her, I am nothing. And I am worried sick about her."

Mia took pity on Decus. He was separated from the one he loved. She felt the same way about Ike.

"…Listen, Decus. How would you like to join us?" Mia offered.

"Huh?" Decus was confused.

"What are you getting at?" Raine asked.

"Decus, as you know, Colette is the Chosen and we're traveling around Sylvarant, releasing the seals on Colette's journey to heaven. We'll be going to lots of places. Surely, if you stick with us, we can find Alice, just as I am looking for those precious to me," Mia revealed.

"…She does have a valid point. And Decus does seem like a decent fighter. He'd be helpful on our journey," Ranulf added.

"I've seen him fight. He can hold his own," Lyre noted.

It was then that Raine finally noticed Lyre.

"Cat ears… a tail… you are of the laguz as well?" Raine asked.

"Huh? Me? Yeah," Lyre replied.

"Then you'd be Lyre, right?" Raine wanted to know.

"Yeah. So what's it to ya?" Lyre answered.

"Your friends are working together with us, Lyre. You are welcome to join us as well, so long as you help us protect Colette," Raine offered.

"And same fore you, Decus. Mia has a point. Your skills would be a boon to the group," she added. "And you're more likely to find your Alice working with us."

"If the Captain is helping you, then I'll be more than happy to devote my services to you," Lyre bowed.

"…If assisting the Chosen will help me find my beloved Alice, then I shall devote my heart and soul to your cause," Decus kissed Raine's hand.

"Now then, since we have all that settled, Genis, can you, Ranulf, and Colette get Sheena, Lyre, and Decus up to date on what's happened so far in the journey?" Raine requested. "I have to go check on Pietro again."

"Yes, ma'am," Genis complied.

"How is he, anyway?" Sheena asked.

"Physically, he's fine. However, his mind seems to have been warped somehow. Sophia blames it on the curse that afflicts those who have escaped the Asgard Ranch," Raine explained. "At my current level, I won't be able to cure him. However, with Boltzman's healing techniques, I ought to be able to fix his mind."

"…Thank you," Sheena uttered.

* * *

That night, Genis, Ranulf and Colette got Sheena, Lyre, and Decus caught up regarding the events that had conspired on the Journey of Regeneration so far. Sheena seemed shocked when she learned of Forcystus' attack of Iselia. Lyre was more than pissed when she heard that Ranulf had been held captive in Triet. Decus seemed intrigued by Remiel's appearances.

The next morning, Lloyd, Kratos, and Mia were outside the inn training when Decus came out and asked to join them. They agreed and the four of the trained side by side, pointing out each other's flaws and errors in their styles.

Later on, all ten party members had gathered at Hima's entrance with Sophia.

"Sheena, Chosen One, please find Boltzman's tome. Pietro doesn't deserve his fate," Sophia begged.

"Don't worry, Sophia. We'll save Pietro, I promise," Colette hugged her.

"We won't let you down," Sheena added.

"Thank you," Sophia cried.

The group then said their good-byes and began on their way to their destination, which was…

"Uh, Raine? Where are we heading next, anyways?" Mia asked.

"To the Tower of Mana. Boltzman's tome is there and possibly some clues to the seals as well. However, in order to access the tower, we need the Church of Martel to let us in. So, we need to head to Luin, the City of Water," Raine informed everyone.

"...Wait a second," Mia gasped. "Did you say 'City of Water'?"

"Yes," Raine responded.

"Oh!" Mia began hyperventilating.

She rummaged through her coat and pulled out a piece of paper and began scanning it.

"What is that?" Lyre asked.

"I remember that paper. Back when it was just Lloyd, Mia, and myself, she got a series of predictions regarding her friends. I'd forgotten about it until now," Genis answered.

"Ah ha! YES YES YES YES YES YES YES!" Mia cheered.

"Mia, what is it?" Lloyd asked.

"WHOO! If this prediction is right, then Boss is in the next town!" Mia jumped for joy.

"Surely you are not putting your faith in some quack, are you?" Kratos asked.

"Quack!? I assure you; these predictions are true! Just listen!" Mia chastised.

"**I see that a blue cat represents one of your friends. He is currently sitting in a jail cell, but don't fret! A crimson knight will free him soon and you will meet up with the knight and cat. The cat will be the first you reunite with,**" she read off.

"Hey! That's me! And the 'crimson knight' must've been Lloyd!" Ranulf realized.

"**The third friend is symbolized by an orange-brown cat. She is stuck in a village of adventurers, hiding from mercenaries, awaiting the blue cat to save her,**" Mia read off again.

"Hey! That was what just happened yesterday! The cat's Lyre and the mercenaries were the MEG!" Sheena realized.

"Amazing," Decus whispered.

Lyre just blushed.

"And here's Boss' prediction: **Your fifth and final friend, whom is most precious to you and is represented by blue flames, is now currently residing in a city of water. He is acting as that city's guardian. You must reach that city before the Chosen's third trial. Otherwise, his life will be in grave danger!**" Mia continued.

Everyone except Kratos gasped.

"Mia, you do realize that if that prediction is true, then Ike is in big trouble, right?" Ranulf asked her.

"You're right! We need to get to Luin immediately!" Mia realized.

With that, she took off from the group, making a mad dash to Luin.

"Mia! Wait up! You shouldn't be going off alone!" Ranulf shouted, running after her.

"Captain! Don't leave me behind!" Lyre followed.

"I MUST STUDY THAT TOWER!" Raine shouted; Ruin Mode had turned on and she was in hot pursuit of the Tellius natives.

"Hey! Wait for me!" Lloyd yelled, attempting to catch up.

"Lloyd!" Colette flew after Lloyd.

"Wait for me, everyone! What if you run into Alice?" Decus bellowed.

"Everyone! You're going the wrong way! Luin is to the northeast, not west!" Genis shouted, trying to catch up with them.

That just left Sheena and Kratos standing there, staring at the rapidly fading group.

"They're one heck of a group, aren't they?" Sheena asked.

"They are. One's a ruin manic, another is perpetually clumsy, a third is a know-it-all, one's unable to tell their ABCs from their 123s, one's obsessed with fortunes, another is quite aloof, one is a fangirl of said aloof person, and one happens to be a lovesick pretty boy," Kratos replied.

"Well, its not like we're any better. According to Colette, I'm a cold-blooded assassin with kind eyes. As for you, Lloyd says you're an emo mercenary with a sword shoved up his ass, but you care about him. However, you seem the most normal out of everyone," Sheena joked.

"Heh. I'm the most normal? Perhaps that would make me the weirdest out of everyone," Kratos whispered.

"Well, let's catch them before we get ditched completely!" Sheena suggested.

"We should," Kratos replied.

The two then ran to catch up to their allies, who by now, were heading completely in the wrong direction.

* * *

**_Outside of Luin, the City of Water…_**

"That's another bandit down. Man, there's a lot of them, but its good pay nonetheless. Hopefully, I'll soon get enough money to leave this place and begin looking for everyone. Soren, Ranulf, Lyre, Ilyana. I hope you're all okay. Mia… you better not have died on me…"

With that, Ike Gawain sliced the head off the dead bandit with Ragnell, his golden blade, and went back into town to collect the bounty.

* * *

**And another chapter comes to a close. Well, I must say that this chapter went differently than I originally planned. I didn't plan on Sheena joining up so soon, but oh well. Can't control the muse sometimes. XD Anyways, to those who don't know who Decus and Alice are, they're from the ToS sequel. Yes, I'm taking characters from the sequel and adding them here. Any character from Dawn of the New World could appear in this fic at any time from here on out. If you don't like that, then grin and bear it and no flaming me! Oh, one last thing: I had you all thinking it was Ike at the Hima graveyard, eh? Well, sorry everyone; that was Decus. Ike's coming soon, don't you worry!**

**Lloyd and company have now gained three new allies: The assassin with kind eyes, Sheena. The cat laguz skilled with bow and black magic, Lyre. The swordsman who's head over heels in love, Decus. The group is now on their way to Luin, where Ike is! Will Mia and Ike FINALLY be reunited? Where is Alice and is she okay? Will the MEG get their revenge on the Regeneration Group? Will the group get their hands on Boltzman's book and heal Pietro? And, if Volke wasn't with Sheena, then where did he go? Find out in the next chapter!**


	11. Chapter 10: Blue Flames of Passion

**Welcome to Chapter 10 of ToS: RD and the first chapter of the 2009 year! Sorry for taking so long, but I was on hiatus for the holidays and I've been contributing to Sno Phoenix, a ToS Collaboration group. Check it out; I have a link on my profile. We have the likes of Twilight Scribe, Sage of Spirits, and I.K.A. Valian contributing, so it's BOUND to be good. Now then, I believe I had you guys hoping that a certain mercenary was to show this chapter. Well, read on and find out if he appears.**

* * *

**Chapter 10: ****_Blue Flames of Passion_**

A couple of days have passed since Sheena, Lyre, and Decus joined the Regeneration Group for their own separate reasons: Sheena, due to a deal she made with Lloyd and Colette; Lyre, because Mia and Ranulf were in the group as well; Decus, to search for his beloved Alice.

Currently, the group was on their way to Luin to gain access to the Tower of Mana. According to Sophia, Boltzman's book of healing artes was inside. This book contained the cure for Pietro's illness, which is what they wanted. Also, it is believed that a seal or at least clues to the seals reside within the holy site that overlooks the Tower of Salvation.

The group had split off into three smaller groups: Kratos, Mia, Lloyd, and Sheena were in the front, discussing random topics. Genis and Colette were in the middle, listening to Decus describing how great his precious Alice is. In the rear resided Raine, Lyre, and Ranulf.

"Lyre, can I ask you something?" Raine inquired.

"As long as you don't go trying to probe me again," she growled, recalling the 'experiments' Raine tried to do in Hima.

"From what Mia and Ranulf have told me, most, if not all, laguz are too proud to fight with weapons, magic, and/or martial arts, relying instead on their claws, talons, beaks, or dragon breath," Raine recalled. "I have been around Ranulf long enough to know that he's pretty much open-minded to just about anything, so he's kind of an exception to the rule. You, on the other hand, seem to carry yourself with a sense of pride, so it doesn't make sense to me why you would rely on archery and black magic to defend yourself. And from what I've been told, your sister is one of the most prideful and stubborn of the laguz. Surely, some of her has rubbed off on you. Care to explain?"

"Hm… well, you're right. My sister and I are proud of being laguz," Lyre answered. "However, I am not stubborn like my sister. I see advantages in the beorc fighting ways and I use them as needed. Need a mage? I may be a novice, but my black magic is powerful. Need a sniper? My bow is ready to go. Need someone to rip out some organs? I'll transform and happily do that for you. I try to be as versatile and useful as I can."

"That does make sense," Raine nodded in agreement.

"Yes, I remember when I first met you, Lyre. You were just as stubborn as your sister. Actually, you still are," Ranulf smirked.

"Captain!" Lyre blushed.

"Hahahaha. Well, you were. But after spending time together, I got you to open up and understand that just relying on one thing will only get your but so far," Ranulf recalled, a smile on his face.

"…Yes. If not for you, Captain, I wouldn't be who I am today. I wouldn't have taken archery lesson from that Rolf kid or learned the arcane artes from Pelleas. And I wouldn't have met such a great teacher, captain, and friend," Lyre fondly sighed.

"I think I get it now. You still have your laguz pride, but Ranulf has been the biggest influence on your life, shaping you into the person you are today," Raine noted as she wrote that down.

"Uh, why are you writing that down, Raine?" Ranulf asked.

"I'm writing bios for each member of our group in order to keep track of abilities, skills, reasons for being on this journey, et cetera," Raine explained.

"Is that so? May we see them?" Lyre asked.

"Not yet. I'm not quite done. So far, I've only got Lloyd, Genis, Colette, and myself done. Mia and the two of you are the ones I'm currently working on. Then I still have Kratos, Sheena, and Decus to do. And then I have to do the bios of Ike, Soren, and Ilyana after they join up with us," Raine informed them.

"You better not say anything bad about me," Lyre warned.

"Don't worry; everything is done objectively. It won't go one way or the other," Raine assured her.

"Okay, but I'm watching you," Lyre glared at the healer.

"So, then… Raine, how much further is it to Luin?" Ranulf changed the subject.

"If we continue this pace, we should be there sometime this afternoon," she answered.

"Good. Because I think Mia's about to lose it," Ranulf informed the girls.

The three looked to see Mia trying to break off into a full sprint to Luin, but Kratos, Lloyd, and Sheena were all holding her back. Yet, she was dragging all three of them, making slow progress.

"Let me go! I have to get to Luin! Boss is there!" Mia shouted.

"Mia, you have to stay with the group!" Lloyd argued as he gripped her legs.

"Going off by yourself is dangerous in these parts," Kratos warned as he had her locked his arms around her shoulders.

"Don't be foolish. We'll get there soon enough! Just be patient, will you!?" Sheena chastised as she firmly latched herself on Mia's waist.

Raine and Lyre both sweatdropped at the sight.

"This is what has become of the Hero of Blue Flames' star pupil? Embarrassing," Lyre slapped her forehead.

"Mia must have some psychological issues. Perhaps I should give an examination," Raine wondered as she went deep into though.

"I think I know what the problem is; it's love," Ranulf answered, a sly grin on his face.

Realization dawned on the two women and they nodded in agreement.

"Guys! I think Lloyd and the others need your help!" Genis shouted to them.

Colette and Decus had joined in trying to restrain Mia, but even with five people, Mia was still making some progress.

"Come on. Let's go snap her out of it," Ranulf chucked.

* * *

Outside of Luin, five bandits had ganged up on a single, blue-haired swordsman. They all charged him at once, their axes craving blood, but were soundly defeated by his golden blade. As he stared at the dead bodies and cleaned off his sword, his crimson cape fluttered in the breeze, as if to signal something.

As he prepared to slice the heads off in order to collect the bounty, he heard a rustling from nearby bushes. He immediately was back on his guard.

"Come out or you will face my blade!" he shouted.

A person emerged from the bushes. She had indigo hair held back with a white headband. She wore an orange sleeveless trench coat and held a magnificent white blade in her hand, apparently using it as a machete to get through the brush.

The two locked eyes for a moment, lost in thought. Then they both gasped.

"Mia!?" the man shouted.

"Boss!?" the woman shouted.

Before he knew it, Ike was being glomped by the girl with all her might.

"Boss! I'm so happy you're okay! I was so worried sick about you!" Mia sobbed into his chest.

"Mia, you know that I'm not going to kick the bucket that easily. And I'm glad you're okay as well," Ike smiled as he stroked her hair. "I missed you."

"I missed you too. Everyday, I was worried sick about you and the others," Mia sniffed as she dried her eyes.

"Well, we've reunited, Mia. Everything will be okay now, I promise," Ike assured her.

"Thank you," she smiled. "Boss?"

"Yes, Mia?" he asked.

"I've been wanting to tell you something for a long time now," she confessed. "And being apart for all this time has made me more certain of what I want to tell you. Ike, I just have to tell you that I…"

"Mia! Where did you go!?"

A familiar voice to Mia called out from the bushes, eliciting a low growl from the swordswoman.

"Mia, who's that?" Ike asked.

Before Mia could answer, Lloyd and the rest of his came stumbling out of the brush.

"There you are!" Lloyd exclaimed. "…Uh, who's that guy you're hugging?"

Mia blushed as she realized she was still holding Ike. They quickly broke apart.

"Ike! How are you?" Ranulf said as he slapped Ike on the back.

"General. I am pleased to see you safe," Lyre bowed.

"Ranulf? Lyre? You're both here as well? Wonderful!" Ike grinned.

"…This is Ike, the man that Mia's been telling us about for weeks now?" Lloyd asked, clearly interested.

"Yep! Everyone, this is Ike Gawain, head of the Greil Mercenaries, Hero of Blue Flames, and the grandest swordsman Tellius has to offer," Mia said.

"It's a pleasure to meet everyone," Ike waved.

"Okay. Let me introduce everyone to you, Boss. First off, the one in red and possessing two swords is Lloyd," Mia pointed.

"Hello! I've heard a lot about you," Lloyd grinned.

"The girl with blonde hair and clad in white is Colette," she continued.

"Hi! I'm so happy to meet you! And I'm happy you're safe! Mia was so worried about you!" Colette chirped.

Mia blushed slightly as she continued, "The kid with white hair's Genis."

"You're so… big…" Genis gasped.

"The woman with white hair staring at Ragnell right now is Raine, Genis' sister."

"Astounding! With the exception of color, Ragnell appears to have the same composition as Alondite!" Raine, in Ruin Mode, noted.

"The red-head grouch is Kratos."

"Humph. Anyways, it is always a pleasure to meet a fellow swordsman," Kratos greeted Ike by shaking hands.

"The girl in purple with the big assets is Sheena."

"Mia! You use THAT to describe me? I expect that from a certain someone, but not you!" Sheena yelled.

"And the dude with the white coat is Decus."

Decus and Ike stared at each other for a moment.

"You remind me of a younger, long indigo haired, smaller me," Ike observed.

"You look like what I could become in a few years," Decus replied. "Anyways, nice to meet you. I have to ask; have you seen this girl? I'm looking all over for her."

Decus pulled out Alice's photo and showed it to Ike.

"…She kinda reminds me of Mist. However, I have not seen her, Decus," Ike answered.

"…Oh …okay. Thanks, anyway," Decus sighed.

"Who is that girl?" Ike asked.

"She's the girl he loves," Mia replied.

"Hmm." He nodded in understanding.

"So, what's with all these bodies?" Raine asked.

"Bandits. I've been hired by the town to take out a group of bandits," Ike explained.

"I see," Raine muttered.

"How about we go back into town? That way, I can get the bounty on these criminals and we can talk somewhere a bit more comfortable," Ike offered.

"Sounds like a good idea! Let's go to the inn!" Lloyd grinned.

Ike then proceeded to behead the corpses, which make Lloyd, Genis, and Colette gag, and Raine and Decus wince. The group then made its way to Luin, with Ike, Mia, Ranulf, Lyre, and Kratos each carrying a head.

* * *

After collecting the bounty, everyone regrouped back at the inn. There, Ike was caught up with all the events that had occurred up to now.

"Okay… So, Soren and Ilyana are still out there somewhere and you guys are going around, helping the Chosen of Regeneration in her journey. At the same time, you all have to deal with the Desians," Ike summarized. "And it seems that my old buddy, Volke, is allied with the Desians as well."

"Yeah, that's the gist of it," Lloyd replied.

"I think I have an idea of what's happening now," Ike muttered.

"So, Boss! I have to ask you, would you join us? Please?" Mia's puppy eyes glittered with the hope that he'd reply in her favor.

"Of course I'll join you. If you, Ranulf, and Lyre are helping these people out, then I should as well," Ike nodded, smiling at her.

"YES! I'm glad to have you back Boss!" Mia cheered.

"So we have yet another in our group…" Kratos sighed.

"Well, now that we've settled that matter, we should discuss our next goal: The Tower of Mana," Raine advised.

"The Tower of Mana? That place north of here?" Ike asked.

"Yes. We need to get inside that tower," Sheena responded. "There's a book inside that we need."

"That, and we think a seal, or at least some clues to the seals, is there as well," Genis added.

"I see…" Ike nodded in understanding.

"We have to go see the head priest here," said Colette. "He's the one who has the only key to the Tower."

"The head priest?" Ike paused. "Uh… I think I may have some bad news regarding that."

"Bad news?" Decus repeated.

"Yeah. The head priest here has left on a pilgrimage; I remember talking with him right before he left."

"Well, this complicates things," Ranulf sighed.

"You wouldn't happen to know where he was heading?" Lyre asked.

"If I recall, he said Asgard," Ike replied.

"The City of Ruins!? We MUST go!" Raine demanded, her eyes lit up in Ruin Mode.

With the exception of Ike, everyone else's head drooped from embarrassment.

* * *

That night, Mia found herself sitting at Luin's fountain, smiling fondly. She was so happy that she had finally found Ike. Yes, she was still worried about Soren and Ilyana and was grateful that Ranulf and Lyre were fine, but Ike was the one she missed the most. He was her boss, her friend, her teacher, her partner, her love…

So many things had gone wrong. The storm that sank the ship, everyone getting separated, getting involved with the Desians, Volke and the Renegades…

Yet, things had also gone right. She met Lloyd, who was a like a little brother to her. The Journey was well on its way and Colette was becoming an angel. An enemy had been persuaded to switch sides. They had found Ranulf and Lyre. And they had found Ike as well.

While Mia was so happy that she had found Ike, a part of her was upset. Twice now, they had come so close to becoming a couple; both times had been thwarted, preventing romance from blooming.

"Maybe it's fate. Perhaps I'm not supposed to confess so that I won't experience heartbreak. …Is fate trying to tell me that Ike doesn't love me?" Mia talked to her reflection in the fountain.

"I mean, I've known Boss for four years now. I remember when I first met him. It was in that old Crimean fort. It was just him and five others against a whole battalion of soldiers led by General Petrine, the most sadistic of the Four Riders. Inspired by his courage in the face of those odds, I joined him. We managed to hold out long enough for Ranulf to rescue us. The courage and skill displayed that day inspired me to stick with him, even when I was told I didn't have to," she flipped her hair.

"After that, so much happened. Meeting the dragon prince of Goldoa, defeating Duke Tanas' forces and reviving the Serenes Forest, Nasir's betrayal at Daein Keep, joining forces with General Geoffery, Ike beating the Black Knight at Nados Castle, then slaying Ashnard…" she happily sighed.

"That year, I learned a lot from him. Humility, Strength, Courage, Friendship… I also learned his sword style and adapted it to my own. He taught me so much about swordsmanship and of life.

"Then the war against Bengion three years later. We had to face old friends, like Jill, Sothe, and General Tauroneo. Even as the Maiden of Dawn refused your help, and the pain of fighting old friends grew, you stayed strong and it was during that time that I began to think of you as more than Boss and more than my teacher.

"I realized that it wasn't your swordsmanship that I admired." She paused, realizing what she had said. "It was the man holding the sword. His integrity, loyalty, the way he moves with his sword, his compassion and understanding… I fell in love with Ike without even knowing it.

"After that, I spent as much time with him as I could to prove myself to him and to learn exactly what it was that I was feeling. We worked so well together; our styles seamlessly blending together, forming an unstoppable duo. Not that we weren't before, but our teamwork got so much better after my feelings began to grow.

"Then came Ashera's judgment. So many people were turned to stone, yet we managed to escape that fate. Everyone put their differences aside to help Yune free Tellius. I was worried that we'd be separated when the teams were formed, but then we were put on the same team, making me very happy! It meant I could spend time with you!

"As we made our way to the Tower of Guidance and fought off the Disciples of Order, I could sense your desperation to save everyone. I remember comforting you so that the weight of the world wouldn't crush you. You seemed so grateful for my support and that made me so happy.

"As the final battle began, we charged the Tower of Guidance and defeated Lekain. Then Ike faced down his eternal rival, the Black Knight, one last time. After his death, I remember that he gave me Alondite and that we nearly kissed and would have too, if not for Sothe. It was then that my feelings for him really evolved.

"After defeating Ashera and making sure that Tellius was stable, Ike wanted to leave to explore and find new lands. Soren, Ranulf, and I absolutely refused to let him go alone and we bugged him until Boss caved. Then Lyre joined us because she didn't want to leave Ranulf's side. Ilyana also joined us; she CLAIMS that she joined us on the promise of exotic foods, but I think it's because of a certain icy mage of ours."

"We ventured to Hatari and from there, we took a boat to explore the world. Then the storm struck and sank the boat and we were all washed away. I remember waking up alone on the beach. For the first time, I found myself truly worried about him. My heart felt so empty, like I was stabbed with my own sword.

"After joining Lloyd, I saw so much of you in him. I resolved to teach him so that he can realize his full potential. Training Lloyd helped ease the pain of worrying about you. I know you are more than capable of handling himself, but I've never been so worried about anyone or anything before.

"Then as I was telling Ranulf and Lloyd about what happened in the Tower, I realized something; I realized that I love you. I had been denying it to that point, but it was in that storytelling that I knew exactly how I felt about you.

"Earlier today, when I finally found you, I wanted to tell you so badly that I love you, but Lloyd and everyone else interfered. Our kiss was prevented and I couldn't tell him how I feel. I'm beginning to think that fate only wants me to be a student and friend to you. Am I not worthy of your love? Am I destined to have unrequited feelings?"

"Well, personally, I feel that a person shapes their own destiny, Mia," a voice called out to her.

Mia whipped around to see that Ike, the object of her affections, was standing right behind her. She turned a deep red, her throat swallowed all the words and sounds, but it was too dry for anything else. Finally, her speech came to her, but it was shaking as much as her body was.

"B-B-B-Boss!? W-What are you doing here?"

"Lloyd and Ranulf told me that you wanted to see me," he replied.

"Those bastards…" she cursed under her breath. Then another realization struck her. "H-H-How much did you hear?"

Ike seemed uneasy for a moment as he looked at Mia.

"…To be honest, everything. I heard it all," Ike looked down in embarrassment.

"No!" Mia looked in the ground in shame. "Boss, please forget everything you heard, okay? I… I don't want to ruin our relationship because of my feelings."

"I… I just can't forget something like that…" Ike whispered.

"I see…" Mia began to tear up. "Forgive me, Boss. I know that there's more worthy people out there for you, like Micaiah or Elincia or Lethe. I am only your student and fellow mercenary. What could I possibly offer someone as wonderful as you?"

"Mia…"

"Forgive my insubordination and recklessness, Boss. I shall take my leave now. Good night," Mia fought back the tears.

Mia forced herself past Ike and began to run back to the inn; with her back turned to him, it felt safer to let her tears overwhelm her. However, she didn't even make it ten steps when someone roughly grabbed her arm. She turned and saw that a very blurry Ike had taken her arm.

"Boss… Please… Let me go…" Mia begged.

"No, Mia. I'm never going to let you go. Not now or ever again," Ike vowed.

"What are…"

Mia's question went unfinished as Ike yanked her into his arms and crashed his lips against hers in a kiss. Mia was completely shocked by this action; she was so shocked that she didn't bother kissing back. After a minute, Ike pulled his lips away from Mia's.

"B-B-B-Boss!?" Mia stammered, her face coated in tears and a red blush.

"Mia… You've always been there for me as a mercenary, a student, and as a friend. For that, I am eternally grateful. But when you gave me that speech at the Tower of Guidance, I realized that I saw you as more than that; I saw you as someone I never want to be without. Someone I knew who would want to take the journey that I so desperately desired with me. Someone whom I deeply care for and I can trust with my life. Someone I… I could love," Ike said.

"What!?" Mia gasped.

"Mia, I… I love you. And I never want to be without you again," Ike whispered.

"Ike!" Mia sobbed into his chest.

He held her tightly and lovingly against his body, sheltering her from the problems of the world. Mia lifted her head from Ike's tear-stained shirt and looked right into his eyes.

"Ike… I love you. I love you so much and I'm a fool for taking four years to realize this." She chuckled as she hugged him.

"I love you too, Mia," Ike stroked her hair. "I'm just as much the fool as you, but that doesn't matter anymore. All that does matter at this moment is you, me, and our love."

"Ike…"

With that, she leaned up to passionately kiss Ike. The man who had hired her, taught her, befriended her, and trusted her, now became the man who loved… no, loves her.

_No matter what challenges lay ahead for Lloyd, Ike, myself, and everyone else, I know that we will persevere. We have a bond. Whether that bond is between friends, family, or lovers, that bond we all have cannot be broken. And I will protect those bonds, especially the one I now have with Ike, with my life_, were Mia's final thoughts as she continued to kiss Ike with all the pent up passion inside of her.

* * *

Hidden in the brush nearby, two figures hid in the trees, spying on the new couple.

"After that, do you think she's gonna kill us, Lloyd?"

"I don't think so, Ranulf. She looks pretty darn happy. So happy that she'll forget about us sending Ike to her, and us interrupting her earlier today."

"I hope you're right."

"What exactly are those two doing?"

Ranulf took a look and saw that Mia and Ike were on the ground, kissing more passionately than ever.

"Um… They're showing each other how much they love the other. Now, let's get to bed; I'm sleepy."

"And what about them?"

"They'll be fine."

The two then took off so that the newfound lovers could have some privacy.

* * *

The next morning, everyone met up outside the inn.

"So, then, what's our next destination?" Lloyd asked.

"Well, seeing as how the head priest is now in Asgard, we should head there," Kratos replied.

"Yes! I cannot wait to study those ruins! Asgard is rich in history!" Raine squealed.

"Sis… You're embarrassing," Genis slapped his forehead.

"Actually, if possible, I would like to take a detour," Ike said.

"A detour? What for?" Lyre asked.

"The mayor hired me for one last job and I was paid in advance for it. He says that there's a group of suspicious people at Lake Umacy and he wants me to investigate. If they're hostile, I'm to eliminate them."

"Lake Umacy is to the east of here. It wouldn't be too much out of the way to go there first," Decus replied.

"True. And if it's the Desians or the MEG, who knows what they could be up to," Sheena added.

"Plus, the lake is said to be a holy site. I won't allow anyone to desecrate it," Colette vowed.

"So, to Asgard via Lake Umacy then?" Mia asked.

"Very well," Raine nodded.

"Then we should get moving," Kratos added.

He, Raine, and Colette then exited the city. Sheena, Decus, and Genis followed right behind them. Lloyd and Ranulf were about to follow as well when Mia called them out.

"Guys…" she stared them down.

"Um… We can explain…" they held up their hands in defense.

Mia then suddenly pulled the two boys into a bear hug.

"Thanks you two. Thanks for everything."

"You're… welcome?" a confused Ranulf replied.

Mia released the two from the hug. The two seemed relieved that they weren't going to die. Suddenly, Mia smacked both of them in the back of the head.

"Ow! What was that for?" Lloyd rubbed his head.

"THAT was for interrupting me when I tried to confess to Ike yesterday and then causing him to hear my inner most thoughts," she scolded them, wagging her finger.

"Sorry!" Lloyd and Ranulf sobbed.

"Just don't do it again, okay?" Mia warned.

"Got it!" They saluted.

The three then saw Ike and Lyre standing just outside of hearing range, waiting for them. Mia ran up to Ike and jumped on his back.

"Oooof! Mia, what was that for?" Ike asked.

"What, I can't have any fun with you?" Mia smirked.

"True, but…"

"From your actions, I see that you two are now together. Congratulations," Lyre smirked. "I also see that last night was full of passion for you two lovebirds."

The two sword-wielders feverously blushed and suddenly became very interested in their boots.

"Before you ask, I know because I can smell the scent of one on the other," Lyre grinned. "I can tell that you two didn't go doing the horizontal tango, but you two obviously had some fun."

"Lyre!" Mia shouted.

"Hey, don't blame me. I learned my witty banter from the master," she slyly replied as she walked off to join the others.

"Ranulf…" Ike shook his head as he saw the aforementioned laguz, along with Lloyd, attempting to get away before Mia was inspired to punish them some more.

"Let's get going, Ike. We still have Soren and Ilyana to find, not to mention Decus' love, and completing this journey as well," Mia kissed Ike on the cheek.

The two then held hands and ran to catch up with their friends.

* * *

**And there you have it. I've kept you waiting for awhile, so I certainly hope I didn't disappoint. Now then...  
Ike has been found, joined the group, and has gotten together with Mia! :D  
Things sure are looking good for the Regeneration Group. However, will the gang's brief detour to Lake Umacy prove disastrous or fruitful? And will they track down the priest and get that key? Tune in for the next chapter!**


	12. Chapter 11: Lake Umacy

**A/N: I would just like to apologize for taking forever with this chapter. Inspiration ran dry and college came up. But I got it done with the rallying cries of Sno Phoenix! (You'll be hearing about them soon in the ToS section) Anyways, I would like extend a word of thanks to Demoness Drakon for sending me that PM that got me back to work on this. So, without further delay, I don't own ToS or Fire Emblem. But please enjoy and review!**

* * *

**Chapter 11:** _**Lake Umacy**_

Mia finally found Ike and confessed her love to him, although it wasn't in the way she intended. Regardless, Ike returned her feelings and they are now a couple. Now, the group was on its way to Asgard, the City of Ruins. Luin's head priest, who holds the only key to the Tower of Mana, is said to be there right now. However, the group had to make a quick detour to Lake Umacy first. According to Ike, he had been hired to investigate a suspicious group lurking around the area and to take them out, if necessary. Concerned about what this group may do if left unchecked, the Regeneration Group is going there to make sure things are okay.

* * *

It was nighttime. Mia and Ike were asleep in each other's arms, happy to finally be together after so long. Ranulf sat in a tree, looking at the stars while Lyre sat beneath him, stringing her bow. Kratos was keeping watch. Raine was up, working on her bios with Genis asleep in her lap. Lloyd and Colette were having one last drink before going to sleep. Sheena and Decus were sitting by the fire, enjoying its warmth. Sheena, with a thoughtful expression on her face, turned to face Decus.

"Decus, can I ask you something?" Sheena inquired.

"Yeah. Go right ahead, Sheena," he replied.

"Why did you save Lloyd, Colette, Lyre, and me back in Hima? We were fighting against terrible odds and you had no reason to help us. So, why?" Sheena asked.

"Why? It's because they treated you like monsters. People like that have no brains or redeeming qualities," Decus replied.

"I take it that you've been called a monster several times, right?"

"Not me; Alice," he sighed. "Alice is a half-elf. Because of that, she's always subject to prejudice. I remember when I first met her. I didn't see a monstrous half-elf; all I saw was a sad little girl who wanted a friend. She touched my heart and I thought that I owed it to her to be that friend she so desperately wanted. That was six years ago."

"Wow, you two sound like you had a hard life," Sheena sympathized with him.

"We did; we both grew up in the same orphanage and were abused: Alice for being a half-elf and me for being a sympathizer," he glared into the fire.

"I know how that feels; some of my own people hate me too," she frowned.

"They do? How come?" he asked, wishing to help.

"…I'd rather not discuss it; the memories are too much," Sheena refused.

"I understand, but I'm willing to lend an ear whenever you're willing to talk," Decus smiled.

"Thanks. So, tell me, how did you and Alice get separated?" Sheena wanted to know.

"…About two months ago, the people of Hima finally had it with Alice and wanted her dead. I told her to go to Luin while I acted as a decoy. I managed to throw everyone off Alice's trail, but I also lost track of her. I went to Luin to find her, but I couldn't. I returned to Hima on the off chance that Alice decided to return, but she was not there. I was about to leave again when I ran into you guys and the MEG," he explained.

"Wow. I didn't realize that half-elf prejudice is that strong here," she sighed.

"You can blame the Desians for that; they make every half-elf and even a fair amount of elves look bad," he stared off into space.

"True. That is how our world is today. However, some people strive to change that world for the better."

Sheena looked off at Lloyd and Colette, who were getting ready for bed.

"Those two, Lloyd and Colette, want to bring peace to everyone they can. And it is for that reason that I've joined them, even though my original intent was to kill her to save my people."

"Sounds like they moved you."

"They did… Tell me, Decus. Why are you with us? To find Alice or to help the Chosen?"

"Both. I wish to find Alice and make sure she's safe. At the same time, I want to help the Chosen regenerate this world. If regenerating this world will make it a better place for Alice and myself, then I shall give my all."

"Ha. I'm impressed. Seems like we're both on this journey to help ourselves and everyone else."

"When you put it that way, I suppose we are," Decus let out a large yawn. "Anyways, it's getting late and I have the shift after Kratos, so I should get some sleep. Good night, Sheena."

"Night."

As Decus left to get some shuteye, Sheena whispered to herself, "Can helping the Chosen really help my people?"

* * *

In due time, the group managed to make their way to the forest surrounding Lake Umacy. It seemed quiet and serene, no disruptions at all. The group made their way thought the forest and managed to find themselves at the lake.

"So this is Lake Umacy?" Lloyd asked as he stared out onto the water.

"Yes. The water here is really clear. It's said to have been blessed by Martel herself," Colette responded.

"Such an amazing scene…" Mia whispered.

"What would suspicious people want with a place like this?" Ike asked.

"Good point. What and why would someone be skulking about here?" Lyre added.

"I'm not sure but I smell them. They're somewhere around here," Ranulf sniffed the air.

"Over there, on the other side of the lake," Kratos pointed out. "I see some people over there."

Sure enough, on the other side of the lake, there seemed to be a group of people gathered; they seemed to be trying to do something.

"Is that our mysterious group?" Genis asked.

"Perhaps. We should get closer to investigate, but we must not be seen," Raine advised.

The group divided into two small teams and got closer to the mysterious group in order to figure out what was going on.

* * *

There was a group of about fifteen men there, staring at the lake. Some seemed rather frustrated while others seemed a tad nervous. The man in the middle seemed to be rather neutral. He was clad in a white robe and wore a hood over his head, but the frown his mouth formed could be seen.

"Why exactly are we here again?" someone asked.

"The horn, you idiot; the unicorn's horn! We managed to trap the thing in the lake, but now we can't get the damn thing out cuz it's too deep! We need that horn! We'll be able to sell it and make a good hunk of money for the MEG!"

"Plus, I wanna get my hands on those idiots who took out our people in Hima!"

"But wasn't the Chosen among them? Fighting her would mean declaring war on the Church!"

"Who cares about the Chosen!? We of the MEG have vowed to take out all monsters! And if the Chosen gets in our way, then so be it."

"Enough!" the white-robed man ordered. "If we have to, we will fight the Chosen, but not a moment beforehand. Also, we'll take care of those freaks of nature when the time comes. After all, they are only beasts, mistakes that slipped through the cracks! They're worth less than the scum on your boot. The Goddess will grant us victory against those two who DARE assume the form of humans."

"Here, here!" the others chanted.

Hiding in the bushes, Ranulf and Lyre were struggling to keep their anger in check. Several other members of the group were frowning as well. Lloyd was reading to go in swords swinging, but Kratos managed to hold him back, barely.

"You know, it's moments like these that make me remember my rookie days in the MEG," the robed man spoke as everyone paid attention "It was about 20 years ago. I had just joined the MEG. I remember those days well. I was partnered with this brash tomboy that was orphaned by monsters. Wonderfully skilled with dual blades, but she was weak-hearted. She preferred to treat monsters with compassion and kindness, only going to the blade as a last resort."

Many members booed at the thought of someone like that once being in their ranks.

"I respected her skill, but not her resolve. And she began to speak out against us, comparing us to demons and the Desians. When her complaints got too much, we turned against her and gave her the beating of a lifetime. And when we were done thrashing her around, we dumped her at the Desian ranch near here to teach her a lesson. I bet they had her begging for death before long," the man laughed and the others joined in.

"Black-hearted humans. They deserve to rot," Lyre spat.

"How cruel…" Colette whispered.

"Bastards…" Mia growled.

"I warn you, fellow members. Do NOT become soft-hearted. Do not forget your resolve. Do not forget the creed of the MEG. Do not become like that fool, Anna Irving!" he preached.

The hidden members of the Regeneration group went wide-eyed, recognizing that name instantly.

"You bastards!" Lloyd yelled out. He charged the robed man, swords drawn.

"Oh, who's this kid?" the man asked.

He sidestepped Lloyd and elbowed him in the back, knocking him into the ground.

"You bastard!" Lloyd growled as he got up. "How dare you say such things about my mother!?"

"Oh, you're Anna's whelp? Well, this IS a surprise. I'm impressed she lived long enough in that ranch to have a brat. I bet one of the Desians made her into one of his playthings and you were an unintended consequence; you're the bastard child of a bastard girl. Oh, this is going to be fun!" he grinned.

Just then, the man found four swords at his neck. Ike, Mia, Decus, and Kratos had him surrounded.

"I see the child brought friends," he smirked.

"Yeah, and these friends are going to bring you down," Mia smirked back.

"Oh, is that so? I think you got things mixed up, little girl," the man chuckled under his hood.

"Is that so? And how exactly do you plan on beating us when you have four swords at your neck and your cronies are being taken care of as we speak?" Ike asked.

He motioned over to the crowd, where Colette, Sheena, Ranulf, Lyre, Raine, and Genis were busy fighting the goons of the robed man.

"The sympathetic Chosen and both demons? Oh, this must be my lucky day! I get to take out all of you at once!"

"You taking us out? Please, enlighten us on how you're going to do that," Kratos stared him down.

"Oh, I'd love to. I would start like… this! Body Blast!"

The man punched the ground, creating a shockwave that knocked the four swordsmen back several feet.

"Guys!" Lloyd shouted. "What the hell did you do?"

"Just a martial arts technique. I'll be using a lot more of them to destroy you, child," the man threatened.

"And who are you to say all this?" Lloyd growled.

The man threw off his white robe. He was wearing a black gi with a red belt and red boots. He had tan skin and was bald-headed. His green eyes looked cold and hardened.

"I am Body, one of the MEG's Four Humanities. And, in today's fight, I will end the Irving line once and for all!" he proclaimed.

"Like hell! You'll pay for all your crimes and for what you said about my mother!"

Lloyd charged at Body once more. Body sidestepped Lloyd and tried to elbow him again. What he didn't expect was for Kratos to appear again and block with his shield, which he then followed up by sweep-kicking Body. He fell to the ground in surprise.

"Well, well, seems like someone knows what they're doing. Perhaps this'll be fun after all."

"You are a disgrace to humans. I will take up the task of removing you from this world."

"I'll help with that," Ike added as he joined Kratos.

"So, both of you? I'll enjoy taking you out," Body snickered.

"You're wrong, my friend. It'll be us who will take you out," Ike glared.

"Then bring it on," Body sneered at his opponents.

Kratos and Ike lunged at Body with their swords. He fell flat on his back and used his arms to propel his body forward, landing a kick to Kratos' chest. He then twisted his body around and sweep-kicked Ike in the back of the knee, causing him to stumble. Body then prepared to punch Ike in the head, when a black boot made contact with his head, knocking him down. Body looked up to see that it was Mia who had kicked him.

"Heh. You got a hit it; I'm impressed," Body grinned.

Lloyd was about to rush in to help his friends when Decus grabbed him.

"Decus, they need our help!" Lloyd exclaimed.

"Don't; this battle's way beyond us, Lloyd. They're on a whole other level. We would only interfere. Leave them be," Decus warned.

"But…" Lloyd spat out.

"If you really want to help, then let's help your friends deal with the rest of the MEG."

"They're your friends too, Decus. They're our friends."

"Our friends… Yeah. So, let's go help already!"

"Okay," Lloyd sighed. He'd rather be pounding Body's face in for what he said about his mom, but Decus was right. He was better off leaving Body to Kratos, Ike, and Mia. The two then rushed in to aid their friends.

* * *

Kratos, Mia, and Ike had Body surrounded in a triangle formation, all four giving off death glares.

"Surrender. It is impossible to escape your fate," Kratos warned.

"Oh, please. You'll have to kill me to get me to surrender."

"We can grant that wish for you. Get ready!"

Mia flung a blast of mana from her sword at Body, which he countered with a blast of his own. Ike jumped high into the air and came flying down towards Body with incredible force. He managed to backstep the strike, but didn't expect Ike to follow up with a backflip into the air. The flat of Ike's blade got up and personal with Body's chin, causing him to stumble.

At the same time, Kratos had been charging up for a spell. When Ike has caused Body to stumble, he saw his moment.

"Take this! Air Thrust!"

As the blades of wind began their assault on Body, he threw his arms up to protect his face. The spell slashed at him, slicing at his arms and legs. As the spell tapered off, Body lowered his arms to reveal an enraged expression on his face. Mana began to form around his hands as he shot a dirty look at Kratos. He then flung his arms forward. A beam of pure white mana fired from his hands, heading straight for Kratos. Kratos quickly used Guardian to block the beam. The beam collided with the force field, both forces attempting to overpower each other.

Mia and Ike saw this as their chance to strike. The two charged at the distracted Body, ready to run him through. Just as they were within reach of him, he discharged pure mana from his body, blowing the two swordsmen back. Body refocused his attention to Kratos, whose shield was weakening.

"Die, you fool!" he shouted.

Just as it seemed that the shield would break and Kratos would be eradicated, Kratos shouted something that caught Body completely off guard.

"Grave!"

A sharp spire shot out of the ground, sending Body into the air and ending his beam assault on Kratos. Several more spires popped out of the ground and went after Body, striking him. As he began to fall back down, Mia spun into the air, a perfect match of Lloyd's Tempest. She flew right into him, giving his shoulder a nasty vertical gash. Body flew fast to the ground, but managed to land on his feet.

"Why those little…" he began to curse, but then he went silent and his eyes went wide.

Ike was standing behind Body, his sword covered in blood. Body now had a deep slash against his torso, which combined with Mia's wound, formed a perfect 'L'.

"How did…" he gasped.

"Quickdraw," Ike smirked as he glanced as his wounded foe.

Body, in a surprising show of speed, punched Ike in the face, knocking him to the ground. He then quickly pinned Ike to the ground; his hand was now charging with mana once more.

"I think I'll rip out your heart for what you did," he heavily breathed.

Body pulled back his hand, held like a claw, ready to rip out the precious organ. Ike could only glare at him as he awaited his fate. Just as Body lunged for the heart, two swords collided into this side, knocking him off of Ike.

"Stay away from my man, you meathead!" Mia yelled.

Mia looked at Ike, who was being helped up by Kratos, to make sure he was okay. When she was confident he was, she looked at their foe getting back up.

"I swear I'll kill you all!" Body yelled through the pain of his wounds.

"I only have thing to say about that," Mia grinned.

"And that is?"

"Astra."

Mia disappeared in a flash. Body looked around to see where she went.

"Aaagh!"

Sharp pains suddenly shot up through his body. Fresh sword wounds ripped across him, spurting blood. Mia was standing back to back with him, a smile on her face.

"This is when you fall," she smirked.

As Body attempted to stand the pain of his wounds, Kratos ran up to him, slashed at him, then twirled into the air, taking Body with him. Then Kratos knocked him away with his sword.

Ike followed up by throwing Ragnell high into the air. He jumped after it and grabbed it with both hands. He then swung the sword into Body with all his might. Both Ike and Body crashed into the ground. Ike was okay for the most part, but Body had definitely seen better days. He was struggling to hold his head up.

"How… could… I lose…" he coughed up blood.

"Because you are lower than trash. You insulted the laguz, the Chosen, and Lloyd's mother. People like you deserve to die and be forgotten," Kratos berated him.

Body responded by spitting blood in Kratos' face before promptly passing out. Just as Kratos got ready to deal the deathblow, he had to quickly dodge a fast and powerful Spiral Flare. Kratos, Ike, and Mia saw that the Spiral Flare had come from a second white-cloaked figure. It was impossible to tell what the figure looked like, or if it was even male or female. The figure slowly approached the comatose Body; Kratos, Mia, and Ike got ready for another fight. It stopped right in front of Body, looked down at him then looked at the three swordsmen. It them appeared to look right at Kratos.

"I'm sorry… for everything…" the figure whispered to them in a clearly feminine voice.

"What's that suppose to mean?" Ike asked.

Ike did not get a response. Instead the woman snapped her fingers. Both she and Body vanished in a flash of light, leaving the three swordsmen to themselves.

"Where did they go?" Mia pondered.

"Who knows; however, I think they have retreated. We're safe, for now, but it seems we'll have to deal with them in the future," Kratos looked to the sky.

"Hey! You guys okay?" a voice shouted out.

The three turned to see that it was Genis.

"Genis, is everyone okay?" Kratos asked.

"Yeah, everyone's fine. Once Ranulf and Lyre transformed into their cat forms, that spooked the goons into fleeing, but not before the two played a game of cat and mouse with them," he chuckled.

Ike laughed, Mia giggled, and Kratos fought down a grin.

"That's good to hear," Ike replied. "Gather everyone up, okay?"

"Got it!" Genis replied.

* * *

The group got back together at Lake Umacy's edge. After Raine checked everyone over for wounds, they then focused their attention to the unicorn trapped in the lake.

"So, why were those creeps after the unicorn again?" Lloyd asked as he looked at the trapped animal.

"The Unicorn's Horn is a powerful catalyst for healing artes. It can greatly amplify healing power and make it much more effective. In fact, Boltzman is said to have been the first one to use a Horn," Raine explained.

"So, they were after the Horn for its healing properties?" Colette asked.

"More likely for the money; after all, something like that would probably sell for a lot of Gald. Besides, the MEG is a group of destroyers, not saviors, after all," Ike replied.

"So, how do we go about saving this unicorn then?" Ranulf asked.

"I am not sure. At the very least, Lloyd, Genis, Decus, Ranulf, Ike, and I cannot approach the unicorn," Kratos informed them.

"Why is that?" Mia asked.

"The unicorn will only approach pure maidens. Should anyone else attempt to approach it, a calamity is said to be inflicted upon them," Raine uttered out the folklore.

"So, none of the males can go and save it?" Lyre asked. "Then I guess it's up to Mia, Raine, Colette, Sheena, and myself then."

"Actually, I won't be able to help; I'm not 'pure'," Raine sighed.

Genis was gagging, Colette and Lloyd were confused, and the rest had a look of understanding on their faces.

"What does the Professor mean by 'not pure'?" Lloyd asked. "Is she dirty or does she have impurities, like you would find in metal?'

"You're better off not knowing," Genis shook his head.

"Okay, so how do we go about saving the unicorn?" Ike asked. "It is trapped deep within the lake. None of us would be able to hold their breath long enough to go down there and free it."

"He does have a point," Decus admitted.

"Spells wouldn't help; the water would cancel it out," Genis frowned.

The group just stood there, frowning as they attempted to come up with ideas. When Colette and Lloyd suggested that they fish out the unicorn, the group moaned, knowing they had hit rock bottom.

"I… I have an idea…" Sheena stuttered.

Everyone turned to Sheena with questioning looks on their faces.

"You do? Then let's hear it," Genis requested.

"We… We could summon Undine, who exists somewhere on Sylvarant, to control the water's mana. With her, we would be able to free the unicorn," Sheena explained.

"Undine… the Summon Spirit of Water?" Lloyd asked.

"Yes, her," Sheena replied.

"What is a Summon Spirit?" Mia asked, others showing similar confusion on their faces.

"A Summon Spirit is an entity that has complete control of an element. One could say they are the embodiment of an element itself. Undine controls the element of Water. You remember Remiel mentioning Efreet at the Triet Ruins? Well, Efreet is the Summon Spirit of Fire. Other spirits include Sylph: Summon Spirit of Wind, Gnome: Summon Spirit of Earth, and Origin: King of the Summon Spirits," Raine lectured.

"So, how many of these 'Summon Spirits' are there?" Ike asked.

"There's Summon Spirits of the primary elements: Earth, Wind, Water, and Fire. There's also Spirits of the secondary elements: Ice, Lightning, Light, and Darkness. Also, there is Origin, their king. However, ancient texts tell of other Spirits besides those nine, but nothing has been proven," she answered.

"So, it's not like we have anyone who can summon the Spirits," Genis sneered.

"I… Well, I haven't formed a pact, but if I did make a pact with a Spirit, then I can summon said Spirit," said Sheena.

"You can summon? You're a summoner, then?" Kratos asked.

"Well, I'm actually a guardian user, but yeah, I can summon too."

"I heard that Summoning Artes have been lost for ages. It seems highly unlikely that you would know them," Raine noted.

"Well, it still exists, and I know them," Sheena whispered.

"Wait. I remember you sending that cute little fox to fetch us when you, Lloyd, and Colette had to rescue Lyre. Corrine, was it? Was that one of those 'Summon Spirits'?" Mia asked.

"You know, I haven't seen that little fox since that day. I was wondering where it ran off to," Ranulf mused.

"Yes, Corrine is a Summon Spirit. And, Ranulf, when not in service of the summoner, they reside at their seal. Where Corrine's seal is, he's never told me."

"If you never found his seal, then how did you find him?" Genis asked.

"…Let's just say we crossed paths one day and we made a pact to help each other out."

"So, this 'Corrine' is a Summon Spirit? I must meet him again!" Raine demanded.

"Prove to us that you really are a summoner," Lyre challenged.

"Fine. Come on out, Corrine!" Sheena called out.

A puff of smoke appeared in front of her and a small kitsune came out of the smoke.

"What do you need, Sheena?" the fox asked.

"Just proving to the others that you are a Summon Spirit, Corrine."

Corrine looked around at the people surrounding him. Colette, Mia, and Lyre were squealing over how cute the little fox was. Lloyd, Decus, Ranulf, and Ike were quite impressed. Genis looked like a kid in a candy shop. Raine had stars in her eyes and was mischievously rubbing her hands together. Kratos was staring down the fox hard, remembering his last encounter with him. Corrine stuck him tongue out at Kratos, which ticked him off.

"I MUST DISCET YOU!" Raine yelled out, scalpel in hand.

"Eep!" Corrine shrieked.

"You're dismissed, Corrine!" Sheena quickly ordered.

Corrine managed to poof away just as Raine literally pounced on the fox spirit.

"No!" Raine cried out. "All the valuable research!"

Everybody just rolled their eyes and shook their heads in disbelief at Raine's antics.

"So you really are a summoner then?" Lloyd asked.

"Yes, Lloyd, I am. Anyways, if you're not interested, I won't force you to go along with it."

"No! We need to save that precious unicorn! Please, Sheena, do what you can to save it!" Colette pleaded.

"…All right," she sighed. "Then, we'll have to find the Seal of Water, where Undine resides. Most likely, we will come upon in at some point in our journey."

"So, we can't save it right away?" a distraught Colette sighed.

"Don't worry, Colette; the unicorn will be fine where it is. In fact, its probably safer down in the lake than it would be anywhere else. No one would be able to get to it," Raine explained.

"Oh, okay!" she beamed.

"So, let's get going to find the Seal of Water then!" Genis shouted.

As the group began to leave the area to set up camp for the night, Lloyd asked a question.

"Professor, how can the unicorn survive if it's trapped underwater; doesn't it need to breathe?"

Lloyd would regret asking that question as that marked the beginning of a record eight-hour lecture from Raine about the biology of a unicorn. Everyone was staring down Lloyd throughout this lecture, due to it being his fault for causing all of them to endure a lecture

* * *

_**Somwhere in Asgard, the City of Ruins…**_

A young man was in one of Asgard's many caves, studying the paintings on the wall.

"This is interesting… So much magical history is within these walls… To even grasp a fraction of it would increase a mage's power tenfold."

The man let out a sigh as his hand traced the drawings.

"Ike… You better be alright…"

* * *

_**At an undisclosed location…**_

"I want a report on what happened."

"Sir. Body and his group encountered the Chosen and her entourage while attempting to secure the Unicorn Horn. Our men were defeated by the Chosen and Body suffered defeat at the hands of three of the Chosen's swordsmen. Had Heart not arrived when she did, Body would be dead."

"And how is Body doing?"

"With rest and some healing sessions, he will be fine. However, he will have scars from that battle."

"This is the second time the Chosen has interfered with us. What the hell is she thinking?"

"I don't know, Sir. According to some our of men, she appears to take pity on them; she would rather befriend them than destroy them."

"Pity!? They don't deserve pity; they deserve death!"

"I know, Sir."

"Tell me, how are our other operations going right now?"

"Our man in Asgard is dealing with the Summon Spirit of Wind as we speak. It won't be long before that monster is destroyed."

"Good. A monster that demands sacrifices is the lowest kind."

"Also, our infiltration team is just about ready to infiltrate Palmacosta."

"Wonderful. The Book of Regeneration will be a boon to us; the spells it is said to contain will be most useful for eradicating monsters, not to mention the boon it will cause to our funds once we sell it to that old man. Let's hope those idiots Dorr, Neil, and Brute don't see through the ruse; to be sure of that, I want you personally leading that team."

"As you command. And, there are rumors that there is a young lady at the Asgard Ranch that employs monsters to do her bidding with some form of mind control. Kvar has expressed great interest in this girl and has made her his lieutenant."

"Have someone keep an eye on her; I don't like the idea of someone having those monstrosities as their slaves. Innocents could be hurt that way. Is that everything?"

"One more thing, Sir. According to Body, one of the Chosen's bodyguards appears to be none other that Anna's son."

"So, after all this time, the boy finally shows himself… Even after all these years, that idiot girl and her legacy still plague us. It took us years to rebuild our reputation from her time with us."

"I know, Sir. The boy is named Lloyd and appears to hold his mother's convictions, as well as her fighting style."

"Just wonderful… I want you to have Heart keep a CLOSE eye on the Chosen's group for the time being. Have her find out why the hell the Chosen is helping those beasts. And, when the time is right, tell her to kill those monsters. If the Chosen is stupid enough to side with them, kill her as well. As for Lloyd… Tell Heart to capture him. I want to deal with him myself. Besides, I'm sure our 'favorite guest' would love to meet him. Oh, how I revel in joy at the many ways that scene could unfold."

"As you wish, Sir. The MEG will prevail and all who stand against us will fall, even if they're the Desians or the Chosen of Regeneration."

* * *

**The group has encountered one of the MEG's Four Humanities, Body, and won! They have also resolved to save the unicorn with Sheena's summoning abilities. Now, the group is on their way to Asgard, but what is this about an MEG plot to kill the Summon Spirit of Wind? And why is it demanding sacrifices? And what about those other schemes the MEG is up to? And why did that cloaked figure, known as heart, apologize to Kratos? Find out next time! And thanks to Twilight Scribe for helping beta this chapter! Yes, THE Twilight Scribe helped little ol' me out with this. :D**


	13. Chapter 12: Master of Wind

**Welcome to the newest chapter of ToS: RD! From last chapter's reviews, the fangirls are wanting this chapter badly! XD Well, I hope I live up to expectations! I present the newest chapter!**

* * *

**Chapter 12:** _**Master of Wind**_

_After defeating the MEG for a second time and vowing to free the unicorn from it's watery prison, Lloyd and company resumed the Journey of Regeneration. According to Ike, Luin's head priest is somewhere within their next destination: Asgard, the City of Ruins. He holds the only key to the Tower of Mana, which holds a book that the group desires to get their hands on, not to mention that they suspect there is a seal there. Asgard is an ancient city, containing many ruins and artifacts, many of which may contain clues to the past, making this a popular place for many people. However, the city has been besieged by a threat, a threat that Lloyd and company must now face…_

* * *

"Finally! We're in Asgard!" Lloyd shouted out.

"Everyone out of my way!" Raine shouted, her eyes sparkling.

"Oh, no…" everyone groaned.

Raine immediately bolted from the group to who knows where inside the city.

"Should we go after her?" Sheena asked.

"She'll eventually tire herself out, at which point she'll go to an inn. Until then, I think she'll be fine," Genis assured them.

"So, what should the rest of us do in the meantime?" Colette asked.

"I suggest we go and search out the priest. Finding the Tower Key is our top priority right now," Kratos suggested.

"Agreed. We should divide into pairs and search the city," Ike added. "When one pair finds the priest, let him know who we are and wait for the others."

* * *

And with that, the group split off into smaller factions. Ike and Mia went back towards the city entrance, where they would begin searching Asgard's western half. Lyre and Colette began a systematic search of the inns. Sheena and Genis were searching out the shops. Ranulf and Decus were searching the eastern half of the city. Lloyd and Kratos began to search the caves, much to Lloyd's disdain.

"I suggest you take a look at these cave-paintings, Lloyd. A lot of history can be found on these walls. You would do well to learn from them," Kratos lectured.

"Aw… Come on, Kratos! I expect that from the Professor, not you!" Lloyd moaned.

"Lloyd, if you just focus on your sword skills alone, a smart warrior will defeat you with minimal effort. Therefore, the mind must be exercised along with the body. If it helps, think of the mind as another muscle that needs to be buffed up and reading and learning as 'exercising' that muscle," Kratos compared the two different activities.

"Really? So, by learning, I get stronger as well, not just smarter?" Lloyd asked.

"Yes, you would."

"Awesome!"

"Then, when we have the time, I would advise you to do some learning, like reading that training manual I gave you long ago. However, we have a task to complete right now."

"You're right. Let's keep going. We have to locate that priest."

The two swordsmen continued their exploration of the caves, hoping to track down the elusive priest. They spent hours traversing Asgard's caves, occasionally encountering tourist, but neither of them had any luck tracking him down. Eventually, Kratos decided that the two of them needed a break, so they sat down on a large, flat rock within the caves.

"Um… Kratos?"

"What is it, Lloyd?"

"Can I ask you something personal?"

"Well, feel free to ask, but don't expect an answer."

"Okay… Well, twice now, I've had these weird dreams."

"Dreams? What kind of dreams?"

"Well, twice now I've dreamt of what would happen at the end of this journey. And both times, well, I find myself…"

"Find yourself doing what?"

"I… I find myself with Colette and we're getting closer and closer and…"

"You two are about to kiss when you are abruptly woken up?"

"Yes! How did you know!?"

"I had those kinds of dreams in my youth. Instead of the Chosen, it was someone very dear to me, someone I truly loved."

"Are you saying that I love Colette!?" Lloyd blushed.

"Not necessarily. I know that you care about the Chosen, that much is certain. However, you're going to figure exactly how much you care about her on your own. No one can tell you how you should feel about someone or something. Until then, stick by her, protect her, be her friend, and support her. And even after you figure everything out, still stick with her as have so far. Got it?"

"I think I understand, Kratos. Thanks for that," Lloyd smiled.

"Anytime, Lloyd."

"However, I do have one other question. Who's that woman you loved?"

"…That was a long time ago, Lloyd," Kratos glared at the ground.

"Oh. Sorry."

"Don't worry about; it was my fault for bringing it up."

"Okay then."

As the two sat there and stared at the cave paintings, they began to hear voices.

_"…Are you sure this is the right spot?"_

_"Yes, I'm certain that we're directly under the stone dais."_

_"Are you sure this is going to work?"_

_"Yes, I'm positive this'll work. After all, this bomb was crafted by the best."_

"Kratos, did you hear that?" Lloyd asked.

"Yes, I did. Let's get closer, but be quiet and careful," Kratos whispered.

"Got it."

* * *

"Listen, are you absolutely sure that this bomb will do the trick?"

"I'm positive that this'll work. After all, this was crafted by Mind, the smartest of the Four Humanities."

"Well, as long as this'll stop that monster and save my sister Aisha, it'll be okay. Still, I feel bad for what we have to do to the dais."

"You idiot! It was your meddling that released that monster in the first place! Be lucky that the MEG has decided to help us or your sister would be the next sacrifice!"

"I know… but still, all that history…"

"Both of you shut up and keep watch as I set this up."

"Fine… Just tell me how this will work again."

"I set the bomb up here. Seven minutes after I trigger it, it will explode, causing the dais to collapse and destroy the monster."

"Good. Ever since Linar here screwed up and released that… thing, Asgard has been plagued and innocents have been sacrificed to it. And Aisha's next on the list!"

"Listen, Harley, I'm sorry, okay? But there were etchings on the dais depicting humans that could transform into animals. How was I to know that the Summon Spirit of Wind itself was sealed within the dais itself?"

"Well, if you weren't such an airhead, then we wouldn't have had this problem!"

"Will both of you shut up before I decide that you should die for releasing Sylph's wrath upon this city!?"

"Y-Y-Yes!"

"Whatever…"

"They're going to blow up the dais!? That's not good." Lloyd uttered.

"Many innocents will wind up dying from the explosion, not to mention the resulting cave-ins. And if Sylph is destroyed, then the universal balance will shift, causing mass catastrophes across Sylvarant," Kratos added.

"Not to mention that if this is where Sylph is, then this is a seal! If it goes, then we cannot complete the journey and Colette can never become an angel! We have to stop them before it's too late."

"Agreed. We jump them on three, got it?"

Lloyd nodded in agreement.

"Ready? One… two… three!"

Lloyd and Kratos jumped out to confront the three men. One had red hair tied up in a bandana. He also had pointy ears, signaling he had elven blood. Another had blue hair and glasses and was holding himself timidly. The third man was clad in blue cloak and hood, hiding his face.

"Hold it right there!" Lloyd shouted.

"Who the hell are you!?" the elven boy shouted.

"…Lloyd Irving. I must say, I didn't expect to see you here," the cloaked man sneered.

"Who are you and how do you know my name?" Lloyd asked.

"I am a senior officer of the MEG. My name is of no importance to monster-lovers like you. All you need to know is that you now have the MEG's full attention and that our leader is especially interested in you, Irving," the man sneered.

"Like hell. I'd never want to meet someone who's so blinded by hatred that he'll cause mass destruction!" Lloyd shouted.

"I suggest you three surrender. We are companions of Colette Brunel, the seventh Chosen of Regeneration. You do not stand a chance," Kratos warned.

"Y-Y-You're with the Chosen!? Harley! Did you hear that!? They're with the Chosen! We don't have to blow up the dais after all! The Chosen is more than capable of handling this!" the timid man suggested.

"Linar, shut up! I'm not about to take a chance on the Chosen defeating Sylph if this plan is guaranteed to work!" the elven man, now identified as Harley, shouted.

"So, the Chosen is here in Asgard? Then that would mean those demon freaks are here as well. It's a good thing I've planned for that. Guess I get to put plan B into action after all," the cloaked man laughed.

"And what's plan B?" Linar asked.

The cloaked man scooped the bomb up and glared at the four men. Lloyd and Kratos drew their swords, ready for anything.

"Simple. I'm going to head straight for the stone dais and tap into the dais' mana and channel it through the bomb, tripling its destructive power. Originally, I wasn't going to do that cause I wanted this to be clean and fast, but this is too good of an opportunity to pass up," the man announced.

"What!? But that kind of power will not only take out the dais and Sylph, but over half of Asgard as well!" Linar argued.

"You can't do that!" Harley shouted.

"If it means destroying that lowly monster, the sympathetic Chosen, and those beasts, then I, as a member of the MEG, will fulfill my duty, no matter the consequences," the man solemnly vowed.

"You'll have to get past us first before you can do that!" Lloyd shouted.

"Then I'll just do this," the man grinned.

He held his free hand up and blasted the cave ceiling with a spell, causing a cave in, separating him from the other four.

"Damn. We gotta stop him!" Lloyd shouted.

Kratos turned his attention to Harley and Linar.

"You two. Which is the fastest way to the dais?" he demanded.

"Um… follow us," Linar replied.

The four rushed off to try and stop the man from destroying Asgard.

* * *

The stone dais was located at Asgard's highest point, in the center of the city. It was a large, square slab of rock with etchings all over it. Statues depicting fairies were at each of the dais' corners. In the center of the dais was a large circle. Inside the circle was the symbol of wind.

Currently, Raine was on the slab, inspecting all the intricate symbols on it. Ruin Mode was in full force, and she was enjoying every moment of it.

"Marvelous!" Raine chirped. "There's so much history on this dais! I can learn so much from this!"

As she continued to inspect the dais, several etchings caught her attention. She closely looked at them and gasped.

"What in the… How is this possible? If these etchings are right, then…"

Before Raine could finish her thought, a mysterious man clad in a blue cloak appeared, clutching a weird device in his hands.

"Out of my way, woman," he ordered as he pushed her aside.

The man slammed his device onto the dais and began tinkering with it.

"Who are you and what do you think you're doing to this historical artifact?" Raine demanded.

"That's none of your business. Now, stay out of my way, or pay the price."

"If you're going to defile this place, then its my business to stop you," Raine warned as she clutched her staff.

"I warned you," he glared as he finished his tinkering.

"Professor Sage!"

At the call of her name, Lloyd and Kratos lept onto the dais with their swords drawn, ready for combat.

"Damn! How did you two catch up to me so quickly!?"

"Lloyd! Kratos! What's going on?"

"Professor Sage, he's going to blow up this thing along with Colette, Lyre, Ranulf, and half the city!" Lloyd informed her.

"What!?" she yelled out. "Oh, hell no! No one is destroying all this rich history or the Chosen on my watch."

"Too late. The bomb has already started. In seven minutes, all of you, along with Sylph and this city are going sky high! Good luck trying to stop it!" he grinned from under his hood.

In response, Lloyd and Kratos charged the blue-robed man, attempting to make him pay. However, before they could reach him, a gush of water erupted from the dais, stopping the charge. When the water disappeared, a second cloaked figured, this time in white, had appeared.

"Can't let you do that," the new figure spoke.

"You… You're that woman from Lake Umacy," Kratos recognized her.

"We'd love to stay and play but I think you have more pressing concerns," the white-robed woman responded. "You have six minutes and twenty-five seconds to stop the bomb, if you can."

With that, the two cloaked figured were basked in a bright light.

"Stop!" Kratos called out, but it was too late; they were already gone, having teleported away.

"Damn! They got away!" Lloyd cursed.

"Forget them! We have to take care of the bomb!" Raine chastised Lloyd.

"Right!"

The three ran up to the bomb in an attempt to defuse it, but the moment the three of them entered the circle at the dais' center, a large amount of mana shot out of the circle, forcing them back.

"What's going on!?" Lloyd shouted.

"Mana is coming out of the dais! But why?" Raine wondered.

At that moment, Harley and Linar had caught up to them and were out of breath.

"It's… Sylph… He's coming for his sacrifice," Linar informed them between pants.

When the light disappeared, a purple monster had appeared. Its' top half appeared to be that of a demon, complete with horns and wings. The bottom half appeared to be a blade one would find on a pendulum.

"No! Sylph will kill us all!" Harley yelled out.

'Sylph' quickly charged past the three heroes and went straight for Harley and Linar. Before it could reach them and behead them, a plume of ice shot out at it, knocking it over.

"Who did that?" Lloyd asked.

"I did, and this is not the one known as 'Sylph'; it has a demonic presence around it."

Everyone turned to see that leaning against one of the statues was a young man. He wore a white mage's robes with black symbols adorning it. He had black hair in a ponytail and cold, crimson eyes. He had an odd red mark on his forehead. He had a book in his hands and a staff strapped to his back.

"Who are you and what do you mean by 'its not Sylph'?" Raine asked. "If my logic is correct, then the Seal of Wind, where Sylph resides. If it is not Sylph, then it has to be the seal guardian, at least."

"I can assure you that this 'thing' is not Sylph, nor is it a guardian. However, there is no time to explain. Take care of the bomb now. I'll handle this demon," the man ordered.

"He's right. I estimate we have five minutes left, according to the original time we were given," Kratos agreed.

"Kratos, assist the man in fighting Sylph. Lloyd and I will handle the bomb," Raine ordered.

The demon suddenly got back up and swung its lower half at Lloyd. However, Kratos was able to block the blow and pushed it back.  
"Hurry you two! Time is of the essence!" Kratos barked at them.

As Lloyd and Raine rushed to the bomb, the young mage ran up to Kratos.

"I hope you know how to do more than wildly swing that sword of yours," the mage glared at Kratos.

"I hope your bite is better than your bark," Kratos glared right back.

"Soren."

"Kratos."

"Let's take care of him."

The demon got back up again, bloodlust radiating from it. Soren and Kratos braced themselves for what was to come. The demon lunged at them again, but both of them ducked to avoid the blow. Soren quickly chanted a few words and a gust of wind shot out of his hand, knocking it back slightly.

"So, it's resistant to wind…" he muttered.

Before he could act on that, the demon swung its lower half at Soren. Soren grabbed his staff and used it to block the pendulum. Kratos took the opportunity to sucker punch it, following it up with a slash at the wings. The demon recoiled at the blow, stunning it.

"Hold it off while I prepare this spell!" Soren ordered.

A magic circle began forming around Soren as he slowly began to chant. Kratos didn't know what spell he was going for, but he was going to have to buy Soren all the time he needed. Kratos went at the demon again. He slashed at it repeatedly, attempting to deal a fatal blow. However, the demon proved to be quite adept at dodging. All the slashes he made at the demon only managed to make scratches. He then lunged at the demon with all its might.

"Lightning Blade!"

Kratos managed to run the enemy through with his sword and a blast of lightning shocked the demon, injuring it. He yanked his sword out of its body, but was caught off guard when it punched him in the gut, knocking him to his knees.

"This thing's tougher than I thought," Kratos spat.

"Get out of the way!" Soren ordered.

Kratos rolled out of the way just in time for Soren to unleash his might against the demon.

"Rest in a merciless embrace! Absolute!" he chanted.

A white magic circle formed around the demon, glowing brightly. In the blink of an eye, ice shot up, trapping the pendulum-like demon in a chilly prison.

"Let's finish this," Soren added with an icy glare.

Soren took a hold of his staff again and Kratos gripped his sword tight as they both ran at the icy-encrusted demon. Their weapons sliced through the ice, cutting the demon into three pieces. The pieces shattered upon hitting the ground and the remnants faded into smoke. The smoke then formed into a battleaxe. The axe handle was purple, like the demon was. The blade was shaped like the demon's pendulum half. On the blade itself was an etching of a dragon's head, colored crimson like blood. Kratos carefully examined the axe.

"If that demon became this axe, then that would mean that this is…" he thought to himself.

Before he could continue his thought, he remembered that the bomb was still a threat. He ran over to the bomb, where Lloyd, Raine, and now Soren were tinkering with it.

"Did you disarm it?" Kratos asked.

"I managed to disconnect the bomb from the dais and drain the excess mana from it, but this thing is still going to blow in ninety seconds unless we do something," Raine caught Kratos up.

"This bomb is so complicated! Normally, I could handle this, but whoever made this really knew what they were doing!" Lloyd sighed.

Kratos quickly thought and came up with an idea.

"Lloyd! Throw the bomb as high into the air as you possibly can! Raine, Soren! When it's as high as it can go, attack it with magic!" he ordered.

"Not a bad idea…" Soren commented.

"What? But I…" Lloyd stammered.

"Now, Lloyd!" Raine shouted at him.

Lloyd, not one to refuse the Professor's orders, quickly grabbed the bomb and threw it into the air. His Exsphere-enhanced strength sent the bomb flying several hundred feet into the air. As the bomb began slowing down, Kratos signaled to Raine and Soren to blast it.

"Take this! Lightning!"  
"Light! Photon!"

"Strike! Wind Blade!"

All three spells hit the bomb just as it reached the apex of its climb. The bomb exploded in mid-air, but the blast was bigger than Kratos had anticipated. A blue shockwave was coming right at them!

"Oh, crap!" Lloyd spat.

"Brace yourselves!" Kratos and Soren shouted.

The four warriors braced themselves for impact. The shockwave struck with more force than predicted and knocked them off the stone dais and into the cowering Harley and Linar, which sent all six of them on a gruesome tumble down the granite stairs that led to the dais.

* * *

Colette and Lyre were busy searching for the priest when a pillar of light shot out from the center of the city. This sent the citizens into a panic, forcing Colette and Lyre to abandon their search to calm the mass mob. When an explosion occurred minutes later, Colette was worried, but it was her job to help the people. As she tried to help calm the people, someone grabbed her by the shoulder. Colette looked over her shoulder to see a white-robed woman standing behind her, a hood covering her face.

"Leave the crowd control to me. Lloyd needs you now," the woman informed her.

"What!?" Colette gasped.

"Lloyd was right where the explosion occurred. I have no doubt that he survived, but I suggest you get to him fast before it's too late," the woman warned.

Without batting an eyelash, Colette's wings sprung from her back and she took off to the skies. The woman looked to the sky, watching Colette. She removed her hood to see Colette better. The woman had short, brown hair, hazel eyes, and her face seemed much softer than the other battle-hardened members of the MEG.

"You're just like Anna…" she smiled as she ran a hand through her hair. "Let's just hope you don't meet the same fate as her."

With that, Heart, one of the Four Humanites, set out to help control the chaotic crowd, just as she told Colette she would.

* * *

High above Asgard, Colette flew, desperately searching for Lloyd. She found herself hovering above the city's center. She looked straight down at the stone dais and saw that it was miraculously undamaged. She continued to scan the area and saw six figures at the bottom of a nearby flight of stairs. She floated closer and noticed that three of the figures were Kratos, Raine, and Lloyd. She gasped and quickly flew over to them.

When she reached them, she quickly saw what the explosion had done to them. Two men she didn't know were sitting on the ground. They had scratches and a few bruises, but overall, seemed okay. A third man she didn't recognize seemed to be worse off, clutching his arm like it was broken.

Kratos had a couple of slashes on him, but they were minor. The worst injury he had was a deep gash on his head and its bleeding blinded him in his left eye. However, he would recover just fine.

Raine seemed to be just fine except for some exhaustion. She was busy trying to heal Lloyd. Lloyd had broken some ribs and his leg and was the most injured out of the six.

"Lloyd!" Colette cried out.

"Chosen One, please, give the Professor some space," Kratos requested as he began to heal his own wounds.

"Oh, of course," she complied.

Colette gave Kratos a blue bottle full of medicine to help with his wounds. She then went over to the two men.

"Are you two okay?" she asked.

"Yeah, we're fine," the red-head spat.

"Please excuse Harley, he tends to be rude to everyone. I'm Linar. Excuse me, but are you the Chosen?" the blue-haired one introduced himself.

"I am. I'm relieved everyone's okay," she smiled.

"I am too," Linar sighed. "Aisha, us, these guys who risked their lives for Asgard, and the city itself…"

Colette nodded and went over to the other man that was clutching his arm.

"Are you okay?"

"I've had worse," the man replied.

"Is your arm broken?" she noticed.

"If it is, healing magic will fix it up as soon as I regain my mana," he answered.

"Oh, okay. In the meantime, I suggest you drink this. I've been told that this helps with wounds," Colette suggested as she pulled a blue bottle from her bag.

Soren's eyes widened and he grabbed Colette's arm with his good one.

"Hey!" Colette gasped.

"That bottle! It's an Elixir! Where in the goddess' name did you get that from?" the man interrogated her.

"Ike gave it to me; he said it'd be helpful for dealing with wounds and exhaustion."

"Ike!? You've seen him!? Where!?" he demanded to know.

"He's traveling with us," she replied.

"And he's standing right behind you."

The man turned around to see Ike standing behind him, looking over the scene.

"I'm glad to see you, Soren. Although, I've never seen you this run into the ground before," Ike grinned.

"That's because I'm not usually on the front lines, unlike you, who would rush in to grab the enemy's attention just to save one ally," Soren smirked.

"True. But I do what I must to protect those dear to me."

Soren could only shake his head.

"Oh, you're Soren!? I've heard so much about you! It's a pleasure to meet you! I'm Colette! I'm happy you survived and now you can be reunited with all your friends and all will be good!" she introduced herself.

Soren looked over at Ike and mouthed, "Is she always this perky?"

Ike gave a slight nod and Soren deeply frowned, a headache already beginning to form, much to his displeasure.

"Why don't you go check on Lloyd, Colette? I'll take care of Soren," Ike suggested.

"Okay! I hope Lloyd's doing okay," she replied as she ran over to Lloyd.

Ike looked back over to Soren, who had gotten up, and his face was cringed, like he had a migrane.

"Soren, I know she's the total opposite of you, but could you grin and bear it, for me?" Ike asked.

"Fine. But I'm going to need some sedatives to deal with the headaches to come," Soren frowned.

"Don't worry about that; we'll have that covered," Ike put a hand on his good shoulder.

"Ike!"

Mia ran up to them, a purple axe in her hand. She seemed to be struggling to hold it and her face seemed to be in pain. When she reached them, she slammed the axe into the ground and let go and gripped her hand in pain.

"Mia, I see you're here as well," Soren noted.

"Soren! Good to have you back. Although, it looks like you took a beating," Mia greeted.

"Not as bad as I've seen the beatings Ike gives you in training," Soren smirked.

"Oh, come on! I've never been beaten that bad!"

"As I recall, the stats of your spars with Ike were 238 losses, 74 wins, and 18 draws," he recalled.

"Well, sorry to disappoint you, Soren, but I've racked up sixteen wins and six draws since we've been separated," Mia grinned.

"Not one loss? How can that be? What happened?" a confused Soren asked.

"Well, Mia has gotten better. Besides, I can't help but hold back against my girlfriend," Ike blushed.

"Girlfriend? Wait. You mean you two are… together?" Soren was stunned.

"Yeah, Boss and I are now an item. Got a problem with that?" she glared.

"Only one: It's going to be a long time, if ever, before I can collect from Shinon."

"What's that suppose to mean?" Ike wondered.

"Shinon and I had a bet: We bet to see if you two would ever enter a romantic relationship; I said yes and he said no," Soren replied. "Now he owes me two White Gems and a Blue Gem."

"You wagered 25,000 on us getting together!? Soren, I'm touched," a tear fell from Mia's eye.

"I only went with logic. It dictated that you two would eventually be together; besides, I can never side against Ike."

"Soren, thanks for having faith in us," Ike grinned.

"You are welcome. Now, could someone care to tell me what was going on? I heard mentions of 'Chosen', 'beasts', and 'Sylph'. I know a few things, but you probably have the info I need to make sense of things," he requested.

"We'll catch you up on all that in a little bit. Now, Mia, what's with the axe?" Ike asked.

"I found it not too far from here, probably swept away by the explosion or something. I have no idea why it's here though. I do know that it's one of the Devil's Arms; I could tell just by holding it," Mia explained.

"That thing was the monster sealed in the dais …" Kratos explained as he approached the three. "… was probably the soul of the person corrupted by that axe."

"We should get Colette to purify it as soon as possible," Mia noted.

"Devil's Arms? What are you talking about? Will someone please explain what in the name of Tellius is going on?" Soren demanded.

* * *

Raine, with Kratos's help, was able to fully heal everyone's wounds. Colette managed to purify the Devil's Arm, known as Dragon's Breath. The axe was given to Ike for safe keeping at the moment.

Once everyone had gathered together, Linar requested that they stay the night at his house. Ike, Mia, Ranulf, and Lyre were able to quickly catch Soren up with what happened and said he will contribute in any way he can. The next day, Raine had gathered everyone together at the stone dais to reveal some information; information that could change the perception of history.

"Professor, why did you drag us all the way here again? Last time we were here, we had to deal with that bomb freak, that Devil's Arm monster, and a bomb that sent us on one hell of a ride down the stairs!" Lloyd complained.

"I have to say that I no longer hold any love for this specific place. Is there a good reason you've brought us here?" Kratos added.

"Raine, are you about to give us a history lesson?" Genis asked.

"Yes, Genis, I am, but that's later. First, I wanted to show you all something," Raine answered.

From her bag, she pulled out a stone tablet. It appeared to have a map of Sylvarant engraved on it. There was an 'X' mark on the map and below the map were words engraved in an ancient language.

"Professor, what is that?" Colette asked.

"This is the Map of Balacruf. When the explosion occurred, I stumbled across this; it probably appeared at the same time as the monster, which I've dubbed 'Windmaster', appeared; it was probably sealed within the dais with the monster. This map tells of the true location of Sylph, and by proxy, a seal," Raine gave a detailed explanation.

"A seal? You mean one of those locations that the Chosen has to go and pray at to receive blessings from Cruxis?" Soren asked.

"Yes. It was believed for a long time that this was the Wind Seal, which is why when the Windmaster appeared, it was assumed to be Sylph. This map was to guide people to Sylph so that a summoner could Sylph's power to stop the Windmaster," Raine continued.

Everyone then looked at Sheena with knowing eyes.

"What? Are you saying that the Map was meant for me?" she asked.

"In a sense, it was. Regarless, I spent all night translating the map and I now know where the real Wind Seal is," Raine grinned.

"And where is the seal?" Lloyd asked.

"The Balacrum Mausoleum."

"A crypt!?" Sheena gasped.

"We're going to

"The place where the last of the known Sylvarant Dynasty were buried?" Genis asked.

"The very same; it is located on an island to the east of here. It will take us about three days to get there by foot," said Raine.

"That's awesome and all, but are we going to go to that seal now or are we going to track down that priest first?" Lyre replied.

"That does pose a problem. We need the key to access the Tower of Mana; however, we know where a seal is and can easily access it. Which is more important?" Raine mused out loud.

"If I may make a suggestion," Soren interrupted. "I suggest we leave a couple of people here to track down your elusive priest while the rest of us head to the Mausoleum to break the seal."

"That would make sense… but who would stay here? The two best people to stay here would be Colette and Ike, but Colette needs to be at the seal and Ike's fighting skill is most likely needed at the seal as well," Raine thought out loud.

"I'll stay," Genis volunteered. "I've been friends with Colette. The priest should at least know of me because of that."

"I think I'll stay here too," Decus volunteered as well. "According to Soren, Alice was here in Asgard awhile back, but she wasn't here long and he didn't know where he went."

"You sure you two wish to stay here?" Lloyd asked.

"I think that's for the best," Genis grinned.

"Okay then. But you two take care of each other while we're at the seal, okay?"

"Don't worry, Lloyd. We'll be fine," Decus assured him.

"Now that we have that settled… Raine, I assume you brought us here due to the etchings at the center of the dais?" Soren interrupted.

"How did you know?" Raine gasped in surprise.

"I have been in Asgard for awhile now, reading up on the history of Sylvarant. I know some things, but I've yet to go over the city in full," Soren explained. "I think you should show everyone the etchings."

"What's he talking about, Professor?" Colette asked.

"Everyone come here and you'll see for yourself," she replied.

The group gathered at the dais' center and saw the etchings Soren and Raine were talking about. What they saw surprised them. There was an etching of a dragon, cat, tiger, wolf, raven, heron, hawk, and a few humans being swamped by a giant tsunami. A second etching showed two females, presumed to be deities, creating some sort of wall, separating the animals and a few humans from the rest of the humans and what appeared to be elves. The third etching showed the animals taking human form. The fourth etching showed an etching of two deities, three angels, a heron, a swordswoman, a dragon, and a lion facing off against a tidal wave, a child-like deity on top of the wave.

"Impossible!" Ike gasped.

"No way..." Mia mumbled.

"How can this be…" Ranulf questioned.

"Well, this changes a lot…" Sheena added.

"Um… can someone explain to me what is going on?" a confused Lloyd asked.

"A thousand years ago, the Goddess Ashunera, creator of all life, was split into two different goddesses: Ashera and Yune," Soren explained. "Yune went out of control and caused a great flood that supposedly drowned all the continents except for Tellius. The Goddess Ashera fought Yune with the help of the strongest Tellius had to offer: Lehran of the birds, Soan of the beasts, Altina of the beorc, and Dheginsea of the dragons. Together, they defeated Yune and sealed her in the item known as Lehran's Medallion, also known as the Fire Emblem.

"However, it appears that not even Goddess Yune herself told her the whole story, or perhaps she didn't know. It these etchings are correct, then your Goddess Martel, along with three of her angels, also got involved in that grand battle a millennia ago, siding with Ashera. After sealing Yune away, Martel and Ashera apparently banished all laguz and a portion of the beorc to Tellius and used their powers to seal them off from Sylvarant."

"However, this leaves us with questions than need answers," Raine added. "Why did Martel interfere with Ashera and Yune's conflict? Why has no mention of laguz or the other goddess been mentioned until now here in Sylvarant? Why is Tellius apparently void of any elves and why do they not know of Martel? Why and how was Tellius separated from Sylvarant? Why was Tellius led to believe it was the only continent left while any evidence of Tellius was seemingly wiped away from Sylvarant? If there really is a 'wall' separating Sylvarant from Tellius, how did Ike and his friends get here?"

"…Could you explain that again?" Lloyd scratched his head. "I'm completely lost."

"Don't worry, Lloyd; I'll give you the simple explanation later," Mia assured him.

"Those are some good questions. However, for now, I think we should focus on finding Ilyana and Alice, breaking the seals, and completing the Journey of Regeneration. Perhaps our questions will be answered along the way," Kratos suggested.

"Good point. Let's just work with what we do know for now," Raine agreed.

Everyone nodded in agreement, believing that the Journey of Regeneration was the best option at the moment.

* * *

**Soren has joined the group! Lloyd has foiled another MEG plot and another Devil's Arm has been found. While Decus and Genis continue searching for the priest, Lloyd and company are heading to the Balacruf Mausoleum to break the next seal! What will happen at the Wind Seal? Who exactly is Heart of the Four Humanities and what is her connection to Anna? And if those etchings are true, then what are the answers to Raine's questions. Find out soon! Review, please!**


End file.
